The Last Dragon
by Pokeluv101
Summary: Throughout the ages, people had fought over the Golden Mountains. Once, dragons were used as weapons but the war led to their death. But legend said, one survived. Lyra was determined to find that dragon and beg it to protect her village. Silver was through being a weapon and refused to give into her wish {AU/SoulSilvershipping, MangaQuestshipping, Specialshipping, OldRivalshipping
1. The Silver Dragon

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or any of the characters**

* * *

"Give us the dragon scale!" Silver sighed as he barely gave the bandits a second glance. He kept one hand over the dagger on his hip and he used his other hand to twirl the scale between his fingers. The metallic scale was the size of a plate and it easily reflected the light of the sun. Dragon scales were rare and sold for a high return on the black market so it often drew the attention of thieves.

He lived in the mountain and didn't come across others often. Silver would no sooner give the men the dragon scale than he would sell the scale. Not bothering to engage with them, he started to walk away with the scale in his hand. He always had a disdain for weak humans but he didn't bother to fight them when he already knew the outcome of the battle.

"Don't walk away from us!" Their leader snarled and Silver wished they knew better than to anger him. Even without his powers, he could easily overpower them. He wouldn't let the dragon scale fall into the wrong hands and see history repeat itself. Steeling his heart, he pulled his dagger from its sheath and waited for them to attack him.

Just as they rushed him, their leader fell to the ground. A whip was wrapped around the man's ankle and Silver followed its path to see a tiny woman standing a distance from them. He didn't know if she was an ally of not but decided to be cautious. "Don't worry sir! I'm an ally of justice and I'll save you. In exchange, I'll only need to know where you found that dragon scale!"

"Not another one," Silver sighed. Despite the whip giving her an advantage over the thieves at a distance, he doubted she could keep that advantage. The thieves outnumbered her and he knew she could overpower him with raw strength alone. Should he help her when all she wanted was his dragon scale? He was surprised when she darted in front of him as if she could protect him.

"I won't forgive anyone who would try to cause conflict on the sacred grounds of the dragons! Please leave the Golden Mountains or else I'll be forced to hurt you." She warned and Silver could see how stiff her shoulders were. He could hear the deep respect in her voice and he would be inclined to believe it if the words weren't spoken by a human.

The thieves started towards them and she merely let her whip uncoil lifelessly to the ground. Like a snake, her whip's attack was quick and deadly. Despite living many years, he never known someone who had such control over their weapon as she did. With a simple turn of her wrist, she disarmed one man. But watching her, Silver knew that she wouldn't win because she lacked the drive to kill.

The small woman's goal was clearly to disarm them. After their weapons had fallen to the ground, she turned away from them and took his hand. Despite her weak arms, she pulled him away from the group. He let her drag him away, thinking that he could slip away from her after they outrun the thieves. He doubted they would give up when he still had the dragon scale.

"Don't worry, I know a path down the mountain to my village. You should be safe there and you can tell me where you found that scale." She said over her shoulder and Silver immediately started to pull back. He hadn't left the mountain for years and he refused to do so now. How could this woman think that she could simply drag him away from his mountain?

"Wait," He pulled his hand back when he realized they were heading towards a steep fall and she stumbled to a stop beside him. The thought of leaving the mountain brought back painful memories and he snapped back. "This mountain is my home and you have no right to take me from it. I don't need a selfish human like you to save me. I'm my own master."

"There they are!" Silver turned to see the thieves come towards them. He turned to face them and saw that they threw a knife at them. Reacting quickly, he gathered her in his arms and jumped away from the knife. He held the small woman against his chest so she couldn't face him. He needed to deal with the thieves before he could force the woman to leave his mountain.

He tilted a glare at the men, allowing his dormant powers to flow through his blood again. The power he emitted was enough to intimidate them without having him fight and reveal himself. How long had to been since he had to use his powers? Fear controlled humans as much as it did dragons. They seemed to understand the threat in his eyes for they turned and ran.

"This is why I stay in the mountain away from people," Silver sighed and set himself apart from the tiny woman. Wanting to leave her quickly, he started to walk away but she ran in front of her. He was already tired and didn't know if he should use his power on her. He pointed to the path that led to the base of the mountain. "Return to your village."

"But I can't go back yet!" She screamed. "I can't go back until I find the last dragon. You see, my village is constantly attacked. That's why I need to find a dragon and ask for its protection. I know that dragons had become extinct long ago but legend said that one survived. It might be foolish but I want to find him. Then my village won't have to worry about surviving anymore."

"So that's your goal." Silver laughed coldly. "Dragons are like animals to you- something to serve your needs or to show off to neighbouring towns. When you don't need dragons anymore, you'll just rid yourself of them. Who would call someone like you their master?"

"I don't want to be their master. I want us to be allies!" The woman stomped her feet and her quivering lip stopped him. The determination in her brown eyes almost made them burn. "How can I even think to take away a magnificent creature's freedom? I just want to ask the dragon's for his help. I met him once so I know that he's kind enough to help our village."

She took the broach on her cloak and held it out to him. "I know you won't believe me but I met the last dragon when I was young! I was playing near a waterfall and fell but the dragon saved me. It had the most beautiful sapphire scales. He gave me its scale and my sister fashioned it into a broach for me. You and my sister are the only one I told this so please take me to where you found that scale."

Silver grabbed the broach from her hand roughly. Panicking, she tried to take it back but he turned his back to her so he could study the broach. He wasn't able to keep his balance as she tried to take back the broach. He fell backwards and she fell with him since she was clinging onto his shirt. He could feel her heart stop as they went over the steep fall.

"Damnit, humans are trouble." Silver muttered beneath his breath so she wouldn't hear her. After adjusting his hold on her, he grabbed onto a branch to stop their fall. Her body shook like a leaf against him and contemplated what to do with her.

"Know this: just because I'm going to save you, it doesn't mean that I'm going to obey you." Silver said much more loudly and she looked at him in confusion. Before she could ask what he meant, he pushed away from the cliff. She screamed and buried her head into his neck. Holding her small body against him, he vowed he wouldn't let her become the next dragon master.

* * *

"Thank you for saving me," Lyra thanked Silver but he didn't turn to face her as he stirred a fire to life. After he jumped away from the mountain side, they landed at a church. While her village was filled with powerful warriors, she didn't know one that could jump such a large distance.

"You said that your village is at the base of the mountain, didn't you?" He finally spoke and Lyra's back straightened. His auburn hair was longer than most would wear it and his metallic eyes were sharp. It was clear that he was a strong warrior. "I'll take you back tomorrow. It's getting late so it'll be dangerous to walk through the mountain."

She asked him where they were and Silver wondered how much he should tell her. She deserved to know and he gave in. "This is the church for dragons. We've been protecting the remains of dragons here to keep it from being used for evil. Many dangerous spells require parts of a dragon to complete. Luckily this church has been hidden in the Golden Mountains for so long."

"A church for dragons," Lyra said softly. With soft eyes, she stared up at the high ceilings and imagined dragons flying through the church. Ever since she was young and saved by the last dragon, she was fascinated by the creatures. She turned and smiled at Silver. "We're actually very much alike. My village and I have been protecting the Golden Mountain like you have been protecting this church."

"We are nothing alike," Silver muttered but she heard the disinterested words. He watched her look over the objects on the altar and it was clear that they fascinated her. She said that she was looking for the last dragon and he couldn't help but think about the other dragon masters he met in the past.

"You humans had killed dragons. Do you think this last one would help you? He was left out by his kin and that was for a reason. The dragon killed his master and fled the battle to survive. Do you really want a cowardly dragon like that to protect your village?" Silver watched her as she looked at him in horror. "The dragon that saved you wasn't the last dragon so get those thoughts out of your head."

Lyra stomped towards him and slapped him before she could stop herself. His shock reflected on her face since didn't think of slapping him, her body merely reacted. They stood in silence for a while and backed away. When she did, he raised his hand and she closed her eyes sharply. Instead of striking her, he took a blanket from a bench and threw it over her head.

"We'll leave early in the morning so get some rest. It's not much but you can sleep here for tonight." He didn't look into her eyes when he gestured towards a bed made from straw in the corner. He felt her eyes on him so whispered. "If you knew the truth about me, you would've stabbed me instead of slapped me."

"Wait," She called for him to stop. "My name's Lyra. What's yours?"

"Silver," He answered shortly. How long had it been since he heard his own name? Her whisper echoed his name and he found it strangely comforting. Why did he even answer her when they would part soon?

* * *

The fire Silver made burned in the fireplace but Lyra felt cold. She looked through the stained glass and wondered what kind of person the last dragon was. It was said that dragons often took the form of humans so they could avoid detection from humans.

After she first met a dragon, she spent most of her life studying them. The only time she didn't dedicate to learning about the creature was whenever her village was attacked. They lived at the base of the mountain that was said to hold gold and dragon heirlooms so they were often attacked. She wasn't a strong fighter compared to others in her village.

The only thing she had were her knowledge and her whip. Lyra only wanted to be able to protect them like they do for her. How many times had she seen her sister come home with wounds? Everyone did their part while she was left in her lab, studying dragons and magical items. If she brought back a dragon, she could protect the people she loved.

Remembering the moment she left the village, her heart tightened. Her sister, Crystal, tried to stop her but she was determined to search for the dragon. How could she go back as a failure? Pulling the blanket around her tighter, she tried to sleep but couldn't. A stray tear formed in the corner of her eye but they were brushed away by a warm hand.

She looked up to see Silver staring at her. Their eyes met but he quickly tore his eyes away from hers and pushed something into her hands. Opening her hand, Lyra found that it was a broach but the sapphire scale was replaced by a silver one. "The scale fell out when I dropped it in the jump. I couldn't find the scale so I replaced it with a spare dragon scale we had."

"Thank you," Lyra held the broach to her chest. He was assigned to protect the sacred objects of the dragons yet he gave her a scale. She didn't know why but the thought he gave her made her happy. He couldn't know how important the broach was to her. How much different would her life be if she hadn't been saved by a dragon long ago?

"Don't look so thankful. It's not like I searched all night for it or anything. I just thought that it was important to you and you'll waste our time searching for it in tomorrow. That dragon scale isn't much of a replacement, I'm sorry." Silver looked at the broach in her hands and realized that teardrops had fallen onto it. Looking into her eyes, he saw tears. "Why are you crying?"

"I'm sorry. I don't even know why I'm crying because I'm really happy you did this for me. I'll go wash my face." Lyra quickly brushed away her tears. As she started to stand, Silver took her hand and pulled her into his chest. Despite the strength she saw him wield earlier, his hands were gentle as he stroked her hair. No man had held her so closely before.

"My sister told me that it's a man's job to comfort a woman. I don't know how to deal with a crying woman so stop crying. Whenever I felt upset, she would hold me like this." Though his voice sounded irritated, his hands were gentle. His rough kindness and kind tone he had when he spoke about his sister made her wonder what kind of life he had protecting the church.

"My sister warned me against searching for the last dragon. I know she cares and worries about me but this is the only thing I can do for her. Whenever there was a battle, I was left behind and I felt a little lonely and useless. I wonder if that's how the last dragon feels too. Even if the last dragon is as you described him, we all feel lonely sometimes."

Lyra pulled away from him and sat straighter. "You must understand that feeling as well, don't you? This church is large and beautiful but I didn't see anyone when you brought me here. It must be lonely left behind to protect these treasures. If you wish, you can stay in the village when you take me back."

"This mountain is my home so I can't leave. I don't feel lonely so you don't need to worry about me." Silver said curtly and Lyra laughed to herself slightly. What else did she expect him to say?

She stared at the dragon statue behind the altar and wondered if it would accept her friendship. Despite how silly it saw, she spoke to the stone dragon as if it were alive. "If you're here, Sir Dragon, please come out! I know it must be lonely in this church and won't leave your side. The people in the village will also treat you kindly!"

"You really are a strange woman to offer friendship to a dragon." Silver muttered and she gave him a silly grin. The more he learned about her and the more time he spent with her, the more he thought her strange. Her words sounded honest and something tugged at his heart. He didn't know why he was growing embarrass at her words but she won't on.

"So please come back to the village with me Sir Dragon. We can live together and-" From the corner of her eyes, she saw that Silver's face had become red. She sensed how embarrass he became and realized how she must've sounded. Quickly shaking her head, she said. "You don't need to blush like that. I'm not saying it to you but I'm practising what to say to the last dragon."

"I don't think that little speech will change a dragon's heart. You-" The door of the church flew open and they both turned to face the intruders. Silver's eyes changed for a moment, becoming more feral, but Lyra didn't know if it was a trick of the light or not. Silver pushed Lyra aside and faced the group himself. As he tried to keep Lyra from their attention, one of the men shot an arrow into his shoulder.

"I thought that it was useless to send my weaker men to search for this church but it seems like they were able to trail you two here." He recognized the group of thieves. He tried to stand to fight again but his body suddenly felt heavy. "You must be strong to still be alive after being shot by that arrow. But no matter how strong you are, we outnumber you so I suggest you hand over the dragon's treasure quickly."

"Stop!" Lyra ran into their path and fell to her knees beside Silver. With one arm, she held Silver and with the other she tried to use her whip to keep them from coming closer. She knew there was little she could do but she found herself screaming. "I'm not going to let you hurt Silver!"

"What can a tiny woman like you do? Take her and the treasure." The man laughed and Lyra stiffened. Silver moved in her arms and she was shocked. He ripped the arrow from his shoulder as he looked up to see the thieves point their arrows at Lyra.

"Like Hell I'm going to let you hurt her!" A powerful wind pushed Lyra back but it didn't seem to affect Silver as he rushed forward. A wing spread out before her, stopping the arrows from reaching her. More than that, Silver's body began to change. His right arm had become a dragon's claw and wings had spouted from his back.

A dragon stood before her now and its large for was everything and nothing like the dragons she read about. It large form was covered in scales and the sight of it was overwhelming. While most dragons were said to have divine colours like gods, Silver was black and grey. But still, she thought that he looked powerful. The last dragon.

Lyra could only stare as Silver rushed forward to attack the men. Even though his powerful claws easily took down the men, he couldn't move easily in the small space of the church. If he fought on his own, he could be defeated by his own strength. With that thought, she took her whip and ran into the fray. She struck one and forced his feet out from under him. "I told you I won't let you fight alone, Silver!"

With deadly control, she broke the arrows the thieves tried to use against Silver. She couldn't hope to be as strong as he was but she could help him in her own way. The men were much easier for him to overpower if she disarmed them. As she fought, she heard Silver's voice in her head. _Get down, Lyra._

Lyra didn't hesitate before falling to the ground. Silver's claw came down on her but it didn't crush her. The scales on his claw kept her safe as he breathed black fire over the thieves. The heat didn't hurt her and she felt safe. After a moment, silence fell upon them and he lifted his claw. She looked over the damage to the church and there was no trace left of the thieves.

Turning back to Silver, she saw that he was lying lifelessly on the ground. His dragon form slowly burned away until he appeared human once again. She ran to his side and placed her head on his chest to hear if he was breathing. When she heard his heartbeat, she felt relieved but reminded himself that the arrow had been poisoned. He was a dragon so she didn't know if sucking out the poison would work?

"Don't worry Silver, I'll save you!" Lyra ran to the dragon artifacts to find something that could save him. The first thing that caught her attention was a large tome and she desperately read through it. It was written in an old dragon language that she only had a rough understanding of. Her eyes caught on the word _heal_ and _human_.

Making a rough translation in her head and looking at the illustrations, Lyra prayed that she could heal Silver. The ritual was said to make a dragon stronger and increase their healing abilities. Taking a knife made from dragon scales, she cut her palm as the ritual required human blood. She placed her hand over his mouth, hoping he would drink her blood.

Lyra heard him swallow slightly and felt relieved when she saw his wound close. The colour returned to his face so she carefully moved his body closer to the fire and placed a blanket over him. She couldn't be certain that he was cured from the poison so decided to watch him carefully throughout the night. She only left his side so she could retrieve a bucket of water and a cloth.

"So you're the last dragon," Lyra said softly to herself as she wiped the sweat from his brow. He didn't look different to her now that she knew he was a dragon but she wondered why he would call himself a coward. Dragons were often used in the war so she could only guess what humans put him through. It would explain why he was so irritable with her.

"How long have you been in this church alone?" Lyra asked him despite knowing that he wouldn't answer. She began to wonder if she could convince him to protect her village anymore. When he was a dragon, he was grey unlike the blue dragon that saved her long ago.

"Silver? What happened here?" Lyra looked up see a woman walk into the church. Instinctively, Lyra positioned herself in front of Silver in case she had to protect him. The woman barely gave Lyra a glance, her focus on Silver. She pushed Lyra aside and knelt next to him. Her eyes widened before she glared at Lyra. "What did you do?"

"I-" Lyra didn't know what to say when she could clearly see the contempt in her eyes. Who was this woman that appeared before her so suddenly? She seemed to know about the church despite it being hidden away in the mountain. Lyra quickly took the dragon tome and handed it to her. "He was poison and I was trying to save him. I used the healing ritual in the book."

Her hands shook as she read the tome. "You didn't heal him. You made a dragon contract with him. When a human and dragon accept each other as partners, they both become stronger. But this contract is for life. Silver vowed never to have a human master again yet you performed the ritual…"

* * *

 **I'm not dead :P just got really into the OTSKO fanfic I was writing. This idea got into my head and wouldn't get out so I don't know if I'm going to go forward and finish Paintings. When I first made this I was afraid that it would be too much like my Mononoke Island so I decided to have the setting be fantasy and medieval. This is mostly SoulSilvershipping and setting up the conflict so the next chapter will be setting up the other characters (mainly Blue and Gold's).**

 **I really like this idea but I'm going back and forth between writing this or writing another OSTKO fanfic. I really like both ideas equally so I'm going to sit on both concept and decide on which one I'm going to finish first. I wrote the first chapter of each and posted them already.**


	2. Forced Together

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or any of the characters**

* * *

Silver didn't understand why his body felt sore yet light at the same time. Someone was softly singing to him and he recognized the voice. Forcing himself, he opened his eyes to find his sister sitting beside him. Slightly confused, he looked around the church and tried to remember what happened the previous night. A part of him felt missing and he touched his heart.

"Lyra!" Silver sat up sharply when he saw her brown eyes in his mind. He looked around the church and saw the rubble the entrance became but he couldn't see Lyra as he scanned the cottage. Blue stopped singing and handed him a glass of water. He was glad to see her since she had been away looking for more dragon heirlooms in the past weeks. "There should be a woman-"

"Lyra, I met her." Blue sighed and Silver wondered she looked so stern. While Silver distrusted humans, he knew that Blue was more forgiven to them. He wondered if Lyra left before Blue arrived. A part him hoped that it was so because he wouldn't have to deal with his sister's questions. Another part of him was disappointed but didn't know why.

"Where is she now?" He asked as he sat up but Blue looked conflicted for a moment. She would usually speak excitedly to him so he wondered why she was so quiet now. Hoping to break her out of her silence, he took out the sapphire scale he took from Lyra's broach. "You should be more careful when you save humans. If she was a dragon master, she would've been able to track you with this scale."

"But she is a dragon master," Blue said softly and Silver looked up sharply. Humans could only be a dragon master if they were born with the skills or if they made a bond with a dragon. He didn't sense great strength in her so she couldn't have the gift and Blue was against having a human master like he was. "The little fool tried to save you with a blood bond."

Silver couldn't react to her words beyond feeling his heart stop. He only had one dragon master before and he remembered the cold feeling all too well. Blue placed her hand on Silver's shoulder but he didn't turn to look at her. They both knew that the only way to break a contract made between dragon and master was for one of them to die.

The door to the church opened and Silver looked up to see Lyra walk in. She was carrying fruit in her arms and she looked tired. When their eyes met, she quickly looked down but not before he saw the dark circles under her eyes. Without looking at him, she walked forward and held out an apple to him. "I went out to find food for you."

Silver instinctively hit the apple away and moved back from her. The last time he accepted food from a dragon master, he lived to regret it. Hurt was clearly reflected in her eyes and he felt slightly guilty when he saw it. Even though she forced the ritual upon him, he didn't know what kind of master she would be. But experience told him to be cautious of any kind of relationship between master and servant.

"Silver?" Lyra started after a moment. They both knew they would have to address the issue but both felt too awkward to speak. She was aware of the implication of a blood bond. Dragons would become stronger but their will would be sacrificed. Her village needed a protector but could she force that upon Silver? He obviously hated humans and didn't want to leave the mountain.

"What are we going to about this mess?" Lyra looked at him, conflicted. He saw her look towards the open door of the church and could read her thoughts easily. With the bond, he could sense her emotions and thoughts easily. Like hell he would leave his mountain and risk revealing a dragon's existence to humans. So he forced himself to be cruel to her.

"Don't think that you can force me to return to your village because you forced a bond between us. I wasn't lying when I said that the last dragon was a coward that killed his previous master and flew away so he wouldn't have to fight in the war. Why do you think I survived while every other dragon died? I'm the last dragon you want protecting you."

Silver winced when he felt the hurt and slight fear pass through Lyra's heart. He had forgotten how strong a bond was but his body was much more aware of her than when he first met her. Lyra's hands tightened and thoughts raced through her mind. He almost pitied her. She searched the mountain for the idealized dragon in her tales but she found him instead.

"I didn't want to force the bond upon you. I was just trying to save you!" Lyra hated that he was looking at her with such disdain now. He was kind to her the previous night but now he was cold. She looked down at the silver scale placed in the broach and wondered why he gave it to her if he hated humans as much as he showed now. "I'm sorry for that but you have no right to be rude to me."

Silver and Blue watched Lyra as she marched out of the church. Neither knew if she would leave the mountain but Blue knew they couldn't leave the issue as it was. Her brother went back to examining the dragon heirlooms but occasionally he looked back to the direction Lyra left. She understood his distrust since their previous master was almost the death of them both.

"I think we should go," Blue said and he looked back to her sharply. She raised her hand to stop him from interrupting her. "Usually I would say we do anything to keep our existence a secret and break the bond. But from what she told me, you were poisoned and the poison is still running through your blood. If we break the bond now, your body won't be able to fight off the poison."

Silver knew that what Blue said was logical but hated the thought of fighting in another human war. Blue went on, "I know a healer that can cure you of the poison. Once we don't have to worry about the poison, we can break the bond and return home. If we convince her to keep your dragon blood a secret, no one will find out about us."

"How quickly will your friend be able to come to the village?" He gave in after taking a moment to think over the plan. A small part of him still hesitated. The only way to break the bond was death and he didn't know if he could kill Lyra even if she forced the bond upon him. He remembered how she spoke about dragons the previous night and the deep respect he saw in her eyes.

"I'll go find Lyra and tell her that I'll go to her village with her while you seal away the dragon heirlooms underground." Silver reluctantly said after she told him that her friend lived near the mountain's base so she could heal him quickly. She nodded and went to gather the heirlooms as he left the church to find Lyra. He caught her scent easily and followed it.

He was surprised to find that she didn't run too far. Trying not to catch her attention and scare her, he approached her slowly. Sitting against the church's wall, she was muttering angrily to herself while eating the apple she offered him and he was surprised she didn't choke herself. As he reached her, she took another apple and held it out to him. "Here."

"If you knew I was here, why didn't you say something sooner?" He asked and she admitted that she didn't want to speak with him at the moment. At least she was honest and he could admire that trait since it was rare for humans. He sat next to her but didn't take the apple. "This bond doesn't only affect me but you as well. You need to understand that."

"What do you mean?" She asked, confused. The way he spoke about a blood bond between human and dragon suggested that the human held most of the power. Even in the books she read, it explained the ritual similarly to him.

"We're connected now, for better or worse. Your strength makes me stronger but my strength also becomes yours and we'll be able to communicate without words. You see, the bond was originally made between dragons with the understanding that the two's duty was to protect each other. That meaning got lost somewhere in history. Even if we never see each other again, I'll be able to tell when you're hurt."

"This bond sounds very much like marriage," Lyra blushed as he explained.

"It's much worse than marriage." He corrected. "But I'll make a deal with you. It doesn't happen often but people do find the church. Your village protects these sacred grounds and I'll help fight if it means other humans won't find the dragon heirlooms."

"Thank you, Silver!" Lyra beamed. She didn't know what changed his mind but told herself not to question it and be grateful that he was willing to help her. Before she could hug him, he held up his hand to stop her. His eyes were serious and she was worried he changed his mind again.

"But I won't follow another master blindly. I want you to keep my dragon blood a secret from your village. I might not be as powerful in my human form but I will be strong enough to fight off raiders. If you agree, I'll go to your village." He held out his hand to her and she took it gently. Her hand was small but warm and he wondered when she'll use it against him.

* * *

Crystal watched the main road from where she hid in the tree. It was her duty to keep watch over the main road in case one of the neighbouring cities tried to attack them. She could travel large distance in a short time so he could easily warm her village before they could arrive. It was an important duty but she couldn't bring herself to concentrate on the road.

Her sister had left to search the mountains for a dragon and Crystal was worried. Lyra had never left the village before and she tried to convince her not to leave. They argued that night and Crystal thought they had settled the issue but she woke the next day to find Lyra gone. She had left a note explaining that she would return with a dragon.

Looking up at the sky, Crystal let out a frustrated breath. Dragons were extinct and Crystal didn't know if she could believe Lyra's claim that she was saved by one. A part of her thought the young Lyra mistook an animal for a dragon and a sapphire for its scale. If that was the case, Lyra would always be searching for something that didn't exist.

And Crystal might never see her again. Even though she spent every free moment she had searching the mountain, she couldn't find any trace of Lyra. She could only imagine the trouble her sister might find herself in. Even when they were young, Lyra thought herself as an ally of justice chosen by a dragon and could recklessly help anyone in need. "Where did you go?"

Crystal was pulled out of her thoughts when she noticed a carriage start to enter her view. She stepped back, deeper into the leaves and watched the carriage carefully. Not many nobles would visit her rural village and wondered if it was leading a larger army. She had to be grateful that the larger cities always underestimated them and wasn't subtle when attacking her village.

Careful not to be spotted, she left her hiding place and trailed the carriage. The trees kept her hidden as she followed it. She couldn't see any knights accompanying it and wonder who was inside the carriage since there was little reason people would use the road other than to visit the village. The carriage stopped and Crystal strained her eyes to look inside the carriage.

"So why are we following the carriage exactly?" Crystal felt someone's breath in her ear and turned sharply to see a man standing behind her. He was so close and she was shocked that he could approach her without her noticing. Stumbling back, she almost fell out of the tree but he quickly placed his arm around her waist and steadied her. "It looks like your carriage's gone, Princess."

Crystal turned back sharply and there was no trace of the carriage. Looking between where the carriage was and the man that suddenly appeared, Crystal's mind raced with questions. Instinctively, she moved away from him and landed on the ground gracefully. Whoever he was, she knew that someone who moved so silently was dangerous.

"Wait, I didn't mean to worry you!" He jumped down to the ground silently. Crystal debated if she should return to the village since he could follow her and discover the sacred mountains. He held out his scabbard to her and she instinctively prepared herself to fight. Instead of attacking, he dropped it at her feet. "I didn't mean to scare you. I saw you watching the carriage and just wanted to tease you a little."

"Who are you exactly?" She asked cautiously.

"Just a travelling bard," he took out his lyre to show her. "My name's Gold. I was trying to return home to Jhoto but I got lost. I was hoping that I'll find the main road to Jhoto if I followed that carriage. When I saw a beautiful woman following the carriage as well, I thought I could introduce myself. If you're familiar, could you point me to the nearest town?"

"Jhoto is on the other side of the mountain but it would be safer for you to take the road around the mountain than to go straight through." Crystal directed him to a path. He looked to where she pointed but didn't immediately leave.

"I heard there was a village hidden away at the base of that mountain." Gold said casually and Crystal's back stiffened. She wasn't surprised that he heard of the village but was still weary of him. "My king hired me to spread the tale of his great return so I might visit it. I can't accept his payment with the knowledge that I didn't complete my task."

"I wouldn't advise it, that village is known to be weary of visitors."

"I just want to bring a little song to the village." Gold strummed his lyre and hummed a soft tune. The melody was soft and oddly familiar but she couldn't place where she heard it before. "Where there's a village there's people and I love seeing the joy they express when I play. I like to think music brings people together. Would you like to hear me play?"

"I actually need to return home," Crystal stepped away from him. While he was casual and friendly, she didn't want to bring a stranger to the village. She thought she could leave him with those words and turned away. Looking over her shoulder, she saw that he didn't follow her and was relieved. No ordinary bard should be able to move silently like he did and she wondered if there was more to her.

Gold watched her leave until her small frame disappeared in the distance. If the other people of the villagers were like her, it would be more difficult to complete his task than he first thought. He strummed his lyre and played the dragon's song as he mused, "But it would be interesting to see her again."

* * *

"Do you know how worried your sister was?" Lyra flinched as Green lectured her. She had barely taken five steps into the village before Green saw her. She wasn't surprised since he was a stern but observant leader. Crystal didn't say a word as she ran across the field to hug her sister. Seeing the two obviously relieved, Green didn't know if he could continue with his lecture.

"I'm sorry but I wanted to find a way to help," Lyra apologized. She stepped away from her sister and gestured to Silver and Blue. Green's brows furrowed since it was uncommon for outsiders to be invited into the village. "Silver and Blue saved me while I was looking for a dragon. They don't have a home but they're both strong fighters so they can help defend the village."

Green looked over them both and Blue thought that he would turn them away for a moment. His face was stern and it was obvious that he knew the strain of a continual battle. Lyra did tell her that the village was always worried about being attacked by large cities that wanted the treasures hidden in the Golden Mountains. She was prepared to argue when he nodded.

"They can stay in the library for tonight but I can't let them stay here permanently until I know we can trust them. It's the least I can do for the pair that helped you." His voice was brash but the fact that he was letting them stay hinted at a kindness. "We'll discuss this more in the morning Lyra. You can go home, I'm sure you and your sister have a lot to catch up on."

"Thank you," Crystal and Lyra said at the same time and the two burst out laughing. Silver watched the two and it was obvious that they were close. Luckily there weren't many humans watching them since it was night when they arrive at the village. Lyra held out her hand to him as if it was natural for her to do so. "C'mon, you and Blue are going to be staying with us. We live next to the library."

Silver walked to stand by her side but didn't take her hand. Crystal looked worriedly at them but had to be grateful that they brought Lyra home safe. The four walked to the library in an awkward silence despite how Lyra tried to converse with them excitedly. Silver was slightly relieved when she told him they reached the library and opened the door for them.

"I'm sorry it's a little messy," she apologized as they walked in. While Crystal wasn't surprised to find it a mess, Silver was. Lyra seemed to be accustomed to the mess since she easily stepped over the books and showed them to a small room. "You see, I often stay here to study and eventually became the library's caretaker. Crystal would always bring me back a book about dragons."

"You really like dragons, don't you?" Silver picked up some of the books and found most of them were of dragons. She nodded proudly and he was careful not to bend any of the pages as he placed them back on the shelf. "You can stay in the room, Blue. I'll stay in the stables."

"But there's another room you can stay in," Lyra offered and he shook his head. Crystal raised a brow at his refusal but he couldn't explain his reason for refusing without explaining himself. For a brief moment, she thought she could feel the hesitation in his heart and didn't know if she could push him to stay in the library without him pushing back. "I'll show you where we keep the horses."

Silver nodded and followed her. The stables were behind her home so they didn't have far to walk. She lighted a lantern when they entered and hanged it on a hook. He sighed, obviously tired, and sat on a pile of hay. He didn't seem to mind the animals but she still asked him. "Are you sure you want to stay here? It's much warmer in the library."

"My previous master made us sleep in the stables so I'm used to it. Even after I killed him, I never felt comfortable sleeping in a real bed." Silver told her softly and she bit her lip. She remembered the pile of hay she slept on in the church. What kind of master did he have before her? "I won't eat your horses if that's what you're worried about."

"I'm more worried about your comfort than anything. But if you do get hungry, all you need to do is knock on my door and I'll make you something to eat." She offered but he didn't reply. At first, she thought he was but she heard his soft breathing and realized that he was sleeping. A simple hike down the mountain shouldn't tire him so she could only guess that it was because of the emotional strain he felt.

She left for only a moment to get a blanket and came back to find him still sleeping. Even if he continued to insist to stay in the stables, Lyra would try to make him as comfortable as possible. Careful not to wake him, she placed a pillow over his head and a blanket over his shoulders. "Sleep well, Silver. I promise I won't be cruel to you like your other master."

Silver only opened his eyes when he couldn't sense Lyra in the room anymore. He touched the blanket lightly. It was warm and comfortable like her hands were. Would she prove to be like his previous master or would she keep the promise she didn't know he heard. Usually when he closed his eyes, he could only see the cold stables walls he once slept in but the stables he slept in now felt warm.

Staring out the small window and counted the stars as he would to pass time and keep himself from dreaming. It was the same four hundred stars he counted on his mountain but they looked different now. His stomach growled and he realized how hungry he was. The moon was still high in the sky so Lyra was probably worried and he wouldn't have to worry about her inviting him to eat with her.

Deciding to leave and hunt for his dinner, he went to the library to tell his sister he was leaving but would return soon. As he left the stable, he was distinctly aware of someone watching him. At first he thought it was Green but the scent was different.

It was a human covered in dragon's blood.

Quickening his pace, Silver walked into the library to warm his sister. Instead of finding her, he found Lyra. She sat on a large plush chair with books surrounding her. When she looked up, she smiled at him. "Finally got hungry? I was waiting to see if you'll come in eventually. Just like I thought, you came to visit your sister before me."

"I was going to go hunting but there's someone out there." He told her but before he could explain that he also smelt dragon blood on the person she told him.

"It was probably a villager on patrol." Her words didn't put him at ease. The scent only arrived recently so it couldn't be a villager. So who was it? Lyra could see the thoughts pass through his mind and motioned him to stand next to her. "I was reading through the books more closely to see if it has more details about blood bonds."

"You could've asked me or Blue. I'm sure we know more than any of your books do."

"I'm trying to see if there's a way to break the blood bond," she said in a soft voice and he was shocked by her words. "I know you don't want me as a master and I understand why. I want you to protect this place because you want to and I'm sure you'll grow to love this village. I have faith in you and these people. If you want to help too, you can bring me some books from that shelf."

"You really are a strange woman," Silver muttered but found himself gathering some of the books and taking them to her. He was still weary of the man he sensed so decided to stay with her in case she needed him. He watched her and told himself, _you're only watching over her because it's your duty._

She began to nod off despite the times she tried to rub the sleeps from her eyes. Eventually she leaned her head against the tree and started to snore. It was the strangest sound he heard and he found himself chuckling. Remembering how she placed a blanket over him earlier, he did the same for her. Once he found a spare blanket in another room, he placed it over her shoulder.

Once he did, sat on the floor next to her and watched the door. Whoever the man was, he had to kill a dragon to become covered with the scent. To his knowledge, he and Blue were the only two dragons left so how did the man become covered in the scent of dragon blood?

* * *

Yellow stepped out of the carriage and paid the fare. She didn't instruct him to take her directly to the village since she knew they wouldn't let strangers into the village. But she needed to pass through it to reach the church and her friend. Blue wrote to her and sent it using a messenger pigeon. Since she owed Blue her life, she took little time preparing for the journey to meet her friend.

Looking at the map Blue also sent her, she walked down the path. The forest was dense but Yellow travelled often so could navigate the forest easily. While she walked, she noticed that there was unease among the animals and stopped in front of one. Making sure no one was watching, she reached out and touched the forehead of a squirrel.

She saw the vision of blood stain and the scent overwhelmed her until she was forced to step away to break the connection with the squirrel. Looking beyond the squirrel, she saw that the bushes had traces of blood on the leaves.

Yellow had the ability to make a connection with animals and speak with them through the visions they gave her. Pushing aside the bushes, she found a man lying injured on the ground. She tore her skirt and knelt next to him to mend his wounds. When she examined his wound, her heart stopped.

The damage to his shoulder might be too much for even her to heal. She had seen the wound before. It was as if a beast tore into his body with its claw and she could easily guess who that creature was. A dragon.

"Don't worry, I'll save you!" Yellow promised.

* * *

 **Enjoy this character and plot dump :P I'm really getting into this one but I still might go ahead with the OSTKO story. I'll write three chapters for each and then make a decision.**


	3. Golden Song

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or any of the characters**

* * *

Lyra woke to the sound of soft music. As she sat up, a blanket fell from her shoulders and she wondered when she fell asleep. She didn't know if it was because of their bond or not but she knew that Silver was the one that placed that blanket over her. He wasn't by her side and wondered where he was. She wanted to guide him during the first day in the village.

"That's strange," Lyra could hear the song more clearly as she walked to the door. She realized that sound song came from a lute but she didn't know anyone who could play the instrument let alone play it so early in the morning. Curious, she walked out of the library to find that the children were gathered around someone while the other villagers were staring in awe.

Lyra was able to find Silver and Blue easily and ran to their side. She looked up at him, confused and he could hear her questions before she asked him. Silver was confused about the man the children were gathering as well but he doubted she could give him an answer if she didn't know him. He was worried about a man watching the village but this man didn't have the scent of dragon blood covering him.

As soon as dawn broke, Silver had watched him came into the village. At first he only sat on a fountain and began to play his lute. The village children woke first and he started to play with them. When the adults woke and saw him, they didn't know if they should confront him since it would worry the children and he doesn't seem to pose a threat. They could only wait and see if he was a threat.

"Okay, everyone get back to your post and you children go back to your studies." Green broke through the crowd and no one could question the command in his voice. Ever since his father had died young, Green took it upon himself to become the village's leader. He vowed to protect the mountain and the villagers since that day and never once regretted the responsibility.

"Who are you?" Green asked once most of the children had left. One stayed, trying to play the stranger's lute but left when he was promised a lesson. The fact that he willing gave his instrument to a boy confused him since instruments were costly. Green doubted the man knew the situation he was in as he sat back against the fountain.

"I'm a travelling bard and I came to spread the song of the King's great return. Do you know of his great legacy? Do you know of the great feats he will commit? If not, I shall sing his great tales. I don't require any payment for my songs since the king is already paying for my service." He started to hum a soft tune but a chill ran through Silver when he continued.

"The King claims to be the last great dragon master and it's his goal to claim the world as his." Gold didn't sing and instead told the story in a hush voice. "The only thing he lacks is a winged army but soon he will have even that. You see, he has captured the last dragon and will use its blood to resurrect its fallen comrades. No man or woman will fear war since he will rule over all."

"What colour was this last dragon?" Green was shocked when Blue rushed forward and grabbed the man's collar. Anger and determination sparked in her ocean blue eyes but what confused him was the slight fear he saw in them. He didn't know if it was because she loved dragons like Lyra did or something else. "You work for the king so you must've seen this dragon."

"Why would a simple bard like me be able to see the dragon?" Gold asked and was intrigued by her reaction as well. He had heard many tales of dragons but never felt the emotional attachment she was showing. Then again, he assumed she lived in the village connected to the Golden Mountain. On his travels, he heard the rumours that it was filled with gold and dragon treasure.

"I'm sure that you and the other villagers have seen more dragons than I do." He watched them carefully for a reaction but the only person that reacted to his words was a small brunette wearing a bonnet. If he wanted to accomplish his goal, he needed the trust of the villagers. Even though the children played with him, he knew that they were cautious of him.

"I've been travelling for a while and haven't eaten a nice home cooked meal in a while. I don't see a tavern though." Gold dodged Green when he tried to ask him more questions. He took his bag and looked over the village again, hoping to find any hint of the person he was searching for. "This is a nice village you have so maybe I'll stay here another night. Do you have an inn I could stay at?"

"We don't usually get visitors," Green answered. He didn't know what to make of the man since he entered the village without anyone noticing him. Others would attack the village for the treasures on the sacred land but there was something different about the bard. "We do have a tavern you can eat at and water your horse but we don't have an inn."

Gold looked beyond Green to the brunette and gave her a charming smile. Even though their eyes met, she only smiled politely at him. Turning away from Green, he walked towards her. "It'll be nice to eat but it would be nice to have company. Would you like to join me?"

Lyra didn't know how to answer his forward invitation. Usually, she was very trusting but the way Green watched him made her weary. She was surprised when Silver's arm came around her waist and pulled her behind him. "She already promised to help me study so she won't be able to join you."

"That's a shame then," Gold shrugged before walking away. As he did so, he wondered if he would meet the woman that was following the carriage. He didn't see her when he entered the village and wasn't in the crowd either. A part of him knew that it was better that they didn't meet since he told her he was traveling to Jhoto but another part of him wanted to see her reaction. "It really is a shame."

* * *

Yellow worried as she wiped the sweat from the man's forehead. With the help of the forest animals, she was able to carry him to a safer part of the forest. She tended to him next to a river with the herbs she was able to gather. But she found the man's wound strange. Not only was it caused by a dragon, it also healed quickly. Usually such a wound would mean death but his body was mending itself.

Who was this man?

Whoever he was, Yellow was determined to save him. She took the soup she made from herbs and carefully fed him. To her surprise, his hand rose and touched her hand. He groaned before opening his eyes. They focused on her for a moment but he quickly turned away from her and tried to stand.

"Wait, you're still hurt so you should rest!" She tried to stop him by grabbing his arm but found that he was stronger than she thought he was. He touched the wound on his shoulder and winced slightly but beyond that, he didn't seem to be in a lot of pain. When she protested again, his crimson eyes finally focused on her and he spoke in a harsh voice.

"Who are you? Where am I?" Red couldn't remember how he came to the river or who the woman beside him was. As much as he tried, he couldn't remember the events of his past. His shoulders ached so he could only guess that he was in a battle. He looked into his bag and found a letter asking him to meet him at the village at the base of the Golden Mountain.

"My name's Yellow. I found you wounded in the forest so I healed you. I didn't know if I would be able to take you to the village before you bleed out so I tried bound your wound here. We're near the base of the Golden Mountain." She explained to him slowly but he still looked slight confused as he processed what she said. "Do you remember how you get hurt?"

"I'm sorry, I don't remember." Red answered honestly after a moment. He noticed her watching him carefully and smiled to ease her worry. The letter was addressed to Red so he could only assume that was his name. "My name's Red but I don't remember anything else from my past. Thank you for saving me and I'll repay you."

Red took a ruby from his bag and placed it in her hand. It should be enough for her to pay for a safe passage to her destination. Looking over the rooftop the trees created, he could see the Golden Mountain and remembered the letter his friend sent him. The best way to uncover his past was to meet the man that sent him the letter. "I'll be on my way now."

"Wait," Yellow stepped into his path but couldn't think of a way to stop him. The dragon wound still worried her and she knew she couldn't let him leave before she found the reason he was attacked. The only dragons she knew of were Blue and Silver and neither would attack a human without reason. Either there was another dragon or he was a danger to dragons.

"Please escort me to the Golden Mountain in exchange for saving your life." Yellow bowed her head and begged him. She gave the ruby back to him and her eyes begged him. Once she met Blue, she would know the identity of the dragon that attacked him. "My friend needs my help but the path to the mountain is dangerous. I'll pay for your services with this ruby you gave me."

Red thought over his answer for a moment. Something in her eyes told him that she wouldn't let him leave without his agreement. When he looked at the mountain, he instinctively knew the path he should take and that it would be dangerous. Yellow seemed kind and he wanted to repay her for saving him so escorting her wouldn't be too much trouble for him. "I will escort you."

* * *

"Please let Silver and Blue stay!" Lyra bowed her head to Green when she met entered his office. The two dragons were waiting in the hall for Green's decision and Lyra was determined to convince him. "They have nowhere to go and they can be trusted."

"Where did you meet them?" Green asked and watched Lyra closely. They both knew that she wanted to lie and that he would be able to hear the hesitation in her voice. He let them stay for the night since it would be cruel to send them away when the night was dangerous but he couldn't let them stay in the village when he didn't know who they were and Lyra wouldn't explain where she met them.

"I'm sorry Lyra but you know as well as I do that it's dangerous to let anyone enter the Golden Mountain, now so more than ever. If what the bard says is true, the king wants the dragons treasure and we can't risk dragons coming back to life. We already have people attacking us because they think the mountain is filled with gold but there'll be more trouble if they find that it's also sacred ground for dragons."

"We already know that it's the sacred ground for dragons." Blue opened the door and Green's eyes narrowed. No human should be able to hear their conversation yet she looked completely calmed. She walked past him and stood in front of the family photo he kept on his wall. "My brother and I have lived in the mountain and we only came down to help you."

She took the photo into her hand and Green fought the impulse to take it back from her. Her stance and casual nature told him that she was confident in her power. Blue handed the photo back to him. "I was never able to thank you and your grandfather for all the times you protected my home. I've tried to watch over you but I couldn't reveal myself. I am the dragon your ancestors lived to protect."

Green almost dropped the photo in shock. For a moment, he didn't know if he should believe her. While he never believed the legend of the last dragon, he always protected the mountain and the village through family obligation. She stepped away from him and held out her hand to him. Slowly, sapphire scales began to cover arm. "I'll transform fully if you want but I'll destroy this house."

"Stop, I believe you!" Green said quickly. She lowered her hand once again and she appeared human when he examined her again. He looked from her to the door and wondered how two dragoons could remain hidden in legend for so long. "So you and your brothers are dragons?"

"Just me," Blue lied. "We're not related by blood. I took him in when his parents abandoned him in the forest. He's actually an orphan from your village so don't call him a stranger. We both want to protect the mountain so let us stay in the village."

Green sighed heavily and leaned against his desk as he tried to absorb the fact that he was facing the last dragon. He remembered her reaction to Gold telling them that the King had captured the last dragon and wondered if other dragons were still alive. He couldn't let the king us dragons and resigned himself to the fact that he would have to protect her to keep his village safe.

"I guess you did succeed in finding the last dragon, Lyra. I don't know how you convinced her to come out of hiding but it's your responsibility now. We should keep the fact that she's a dragon a secret from the others." Green told Lyra and she grinned to Blue.

"Let's all have dinner to celebrate Silver and Blue becoming part of the village!" Lyra cheered and Green wondered if she knew the consequences of her actions. She only jumped to her feet and ran out to Silver. Blue smiled as she watched Silver struggle against Lyra trying to drag him somewhere. She always hoped that he would be able to find a home he felt safe and the village was a chance for both of them.

* * *

"Eat, you're a part of this village now." Lyra found Silver sitting alone in the pub and handed him a plate filled with meat. The village never had many opportunities to celebrate so their parties were always bombastic. She touched the broach with his dragon scale and wished there was something she could do to make him more comfortable. "How about we have our own party outside?"

"Wouldn't you rather have fun with your sister and the others?" Silver asked, hoping he could deter her attention from him. While the only villager he knew was Lyra, he didn't know if he should become acquainted with the other villagers. His sister was speaking with Crystal and he didn't want to bother her with his own insecurities. "I'll be alright."

"I know just the thing to make this dinner feel more comfortable for you! Just wait right here for me and I'll be right back." Lyra told him before she ran off. He sighed in relief, glad to have a moment of silence. The moment lasted far shorter than he thought it would before his attention was drawn to the crowd surrounding the bard as he told them stories.

Silver didn't show any emotion on his face but his suspicion flared at the sight of him. He doubted that it was a coincidence that only a day after he smelled a man covered in dragon blood that Gold appeared the next morning. He also told them the tale of the King capturing the last dragon. Despite his nature, Silver walked closer to the crowd and listened intently.

"Do you know where I can buy a horse here? I went to water him but it seems he ran off somewhere so I'm stuck here for a while." Gold asked one of the men and he shrugged. The man only grinned wider as he joked. "Hopefully he doesn't get eaten by a dragon."

"People have a surprising fascination with dragons even though they're extinct." Silver muttered to himself. A part of him wanted to think that the man was only jesting but he couldn't tell. Gold spoke as he ate casually. While Silver sparely made a reply, the man spoke excitedly to him. He wondered why, out of everyone, did the man sat next to him.

"I've always wondered about that. To be honest, the only reason I took this job as a bard was because I owe my friend my life. With this, I can repay him." Gold's eyes became sharper as he scanned the crowd and his eyes met Silver's. It was only for a brief moment before he started speaking to the boys again.

"Do you know the legend of _The Immortal Dragon Master_? It was said there was a man that killed many dragons. Soon he was covered in dragon's blood and gained their immortality. Since he couldn't die, a dragon cursed him with never ending misfortune until he was able catch the heart of a dragon. Since dragons were extinct, he had no hope no returning to a normal life."

Gold knew the lesson behind the story that no matter how beneficial bad deeds seemed the consequences would always be waiting for them. He wondered what the consequences for his actions were and if they would be lesser than the benefit his songs could bring. "I'll tell you all a secret. I actually met the immortal dragon master and he taught me the song of dragons."

"Can you sing it for us?" One of boys asked and Silver was surprised that Gold actually shook his head since bards would never refuse a request.

"This song is able to force a dragon into its true form and lull it to sleep. I made a vow never to use this song unless I'm facing a dragon. It wouldn't do anyone any good if the last dragon was forced to transform against its will. He would most likely kill me when he wakes and a simple bard like me can't defend himself against such a mighty beast."

"But how can a dragon hide in our village?"

"The same way I came into your village without anyone noticing. I blended in with you and didn't draw attention to myself until I wanted you to notice me. That's one of the first thing my master taught me. Anyone can do this so it's best if you're cautious of others. Dragons can take the form of humans and that allowed them to live peacefully before they were used for wars."

"May I ask how you know so much about dragons?" Gold looked up to see a small woman staring at him intently. He recognized her from the group he met in the morning and once again the silver eyed man stood protectively beside her when she stepped towards him. "I've read many books about dragons but they don't seem to hold the knowledge you do."

"I just hear a lot of stories in my travels." Gold shrugged. Lyra wanted to ask him more but didn't know if she should. She only just returned and heard him speaking with the children. "If you want to hear more, my offer from this morning still stands."

"I'm sorry but I already made a promise to my friend." Lyra took Silver's hand and his heart jumped at the action. Silver couldn't deny the emotion she caused in him any more than he could explain them. She bowed politely to him before pulling Silver away. "I promised you dinner."

Silver didn't reply but followed her without any resistance. She wanted to make the dinner more comfortable for him and he didn't know how she thought she could accomplish that. To his surprise, she led him to the barn. For a brief moment, he thought of his previous master. Would she force him to eat alone in the cold stable?

Warmth surrounded him when Lyra threw open the stable door and she pulled Silver inside. Inside, food was laid out on the floor and candles were placed around the stable. Green, Blue and Crystal were already eating and Blue was the first the notice them enter. "Lyra suggested that we have a small dinner to help you become accustom to people."

"Eat as much as you want, Silver!" Lyra pushed him into their circle and he sat down. His sister handed him a plate and he reluctantly began to eat. It was the same food from the party but it tasted different, more comforting. "Since you and Blue has been staying in that church for a long time, it must've been a long time since you've been able to eat such a large dinner."

"It has been a long time," Blue said softly. If she was honest, without Silver she would never be able to say that she experienced a dinner with a hint of warmth. Before she escaped her previous dragon master, he wouldn't allow her to eat and even after he died it was a constant battle to stay hidden. "I'm really thankful for what you're doing for us, Lyra."

"She's right. Thank you, Lyra." Silver said softly and she was glad to see that he was eating. She sat next to him and spoke excitedly about her journey and Silver couldn't find himself irritated by the constant noise like he would in the past. As she spoke, it surprised him how long she searched and that she hadn't given up. "You are a strange woman. You tried to save me from that group of thieves."

"I had to! What kind of ally of justice would I be if I didn't?" Lyra puffed her chest proudly and Silver found himself laughing. The sight was rare but beautiful to Lyra even though he only laughed for a short moment. "When the last dragon saved me, I knew that it meant that I had a greater purpose in life. The dragon chose me to live and help the world."

"Actually, it was only by chance that I was able to save you." Blue reluctantly said. She knew that Lyra was impulsive from what Crystal and Green told her. While her bravery was admirable, she didn't want Lyra to run into danger. "I was in the area and saw you falling from the waterfall."

"But everyone here is glad that she did save you," Silver said when he saw her smile fall. He felt her disappointment in his heart and placed a gentle hand on her head. "And you did help us. I don't believe in destiny and the only thing you need to drive yourself us the kindness in your heart."

"Silver's right." Crystal nodded and Lyra smiled once again. Blue smiled knowingly at Silver and he blushed slightly since he could easily guess the direction of her thoughts. Silver told himself that he didn't want to see her sad since the blood contract compelled him. He knew the danger a Dragon Master and already knew he couldn't become attach to her.

But seeing her smile now, that promise didn't replay itself in his mind.

* * *

"That seems like a happy gathering." Gold watched the stables from where he sat hidden in the trees. He looked from the stable to the tavern where the other villagers were celebrating. Among them was the person he spent years looking for.

The dragon that killed his mother.

* * *

 **I really wanted to keep this focus on SoulSilvershipping but I'm worried that my love for MangaQuesthsipping would get in the way. But even though I told myself to hold off on writing them but I'm really getting into Gold's side story since it plays into my love Gold as a character, my love for Mangaquestshipping _and_ my BrOTP of Silver and Gold. **


	4. Past Faces

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or any of the characters**

* * *

"You didn't have to come with me. The tavern isn't that far and I doubt anyone in your village can hurt me," Blue told Green as they walked back to stable. He was surprised that dragons could eat so quickly and she offered to buy more food. She wanted Silver to stay with Lyra so he would become more accustom with humans.

Green had offered to accompany her and help her carry the food. While she was more trusting than Silver, Blue had a strict policy on who she gave her trust. She knew that her choice would also affect her brother and she wouldn't risk his life. A part of her knew that she shouldn't become too attached to the villagers since she was planning to leave with Silver once they broke the blood bond.

"I wanted to speak to you privately." Green answered her. "I might not have met a dragon but I don't believe a dragon would show itself to us because Lyra merely asked you. Everyone in this village is like family to me and it's my duty to protect them. I want to be able to trust you. Because of that, I want to get to know you better. Why did you choose to descend from the mountain now?"

"You really are Oak's grandson," Blue observed. He stopped for a moment but recovered quickly and matched his pace with hers. She knew that he would react in such a way and was glad that she diverted his attention away from her. "He searched the mountain for dragons but never found us. I spoke with him sparsely but he always asked me about dragon culture."

"You met my grandfather? Have you ever met my father?" Green asked and she was surprised how his voice changed. "As you can see, this village has a habit of falling in love with dragons and both my grandfather and father searched the forest for the Last Dragon. My grandfather died searching it and my father died protecting it. That's why I didn't want Lyra to leave."

"I never met your father before," Blue could hear the deep love he had for his people in his voice. Her last dragon master had owned land but he never showed any interest in his people like Green did. They were tools to him but Green thought of them as family. Even as she noted that difference, she told herself that she had to be cautious around humans.

"We have that in common," Green laughed as he remembered all the years he grew up alone. Even if his father only fought to protect the village for the dragon's sake, he would serve the people because they were his family. "I heard a lot of hero stories about him when I was younger but I was hoping that I could know what he was like as a person."

Blue couldn't remember much of her own childhood and wondered what his was like. She found herself relating to him and how he grew up much sooner than other children. A part of her wondered if he held any resentment against dragons due to his loss but there was no hatred in his eyes as he looked up at the stars. There were no emotions in his eyes at all.

The lack of emotions in his eyes reminded her of Silver but at the same time she thought that they were nothing alike. While Silver's gaze lacked emotions at times, his eyes looked empty and sad. Green's emerald eyes were hardened against emotions and she saw the same in many warriors she met in her lifetime. "I might not have known your grandfather well but I'm sure he would tell you to smile more."

"I do smile," Green told her and she laughed haughtily. She surprised both of them when she stopped in front of him and pulled on his cheeks into a smile. Despite the strength he knew she had, her hands were gentle on his jaw and looking down at her now he could mistake her for human. "I just find it pointless to waste my energy doing so constantly."

"Some people smile naturally and they don't seem to be suffering from wasted energy. Actually, my friend thinks that smiling heals the broken heart. Smart woman, that healer is. That reminds me, I wrote a letter to her and she should be arriving soon. I know you don't like guests but I she is kind and she won't be a danger to your village. I already told her to be discrete when traveling here."

"You wrote to your friend about us?" Green almost dropped the basket of food he was holding. He could easily picture everything that could go wrong. What if someone had seen her letter and discover their location? Could he really trust her friend? "First that bard discovers this village and now you give our location to another? Do you understand that it's best for us to be cautious?"

"I do and I wouldn't reveal this village unless needed. She's a healer and I met her while I was traveling. I assure you that you'll not find another person as kind as her. With all the battles you fight, this village could use a healer like her. This village might be good for her as well since she live in the forest alone for many years. Maybe I can help her find that one true love."

"I'm guessing you're trying to do the same with your brother currently." Green thought of all the times she watched over Silver and Lyra. A brotherly part of him considered what kind of relationship would be best for her but chuckled to himself. "The only thing Lyra love is her dragons. She hasn't out grown that childish personality."

"That would be a wonderful match for Silver, I think. But in the end, they might not be able to stay together." Blue said sadly and Green wondered what was going through her mind. She could read the question in his eyes easily but doubted she could tell him that they intended to break the blood bond the only way they knew how. "Enough about that. Promise me that you'll be welcoming to Yellow."

"I'll decide how to greet her when I meet her." Green told her and she was surprised that a man like Green relented as much as he was currently. They reached the stables and he opened to find that it was quiet. He knew that they drank themselves to sleep and sighed as he took a blanket from the stall to place over them. "Seriously, you wouldn't be able to guess that they're grown women."

"I'm just glad that Silver was able to feel comfortable around them enough to sleep." Blue listened to Silver's heartbeat and knew that he was truly sleeping. Even if his opinion on dragon masters never changed, she hoped the village would show him that not all humans were evil.

* * *

Red followed the river, not knowing if it would really lead them to the village she told him of but it seemed familiar to him. Even without his memory, he knew the path to take instinctively. Though he knew the path in his gut, Yellow watched him carefully. What brought her to request the help of a man that could barely remember his own name, he didn't know.

"Red, my friend's letter says that the village is located at the base of the mountain on the other side. Why are you taking me through the mountain rather than around? This is the sacred ground of the dragons and it doesn't feel right to be here." Yellow pulled on his sleeve to stop him from going further. "Let's go back to the path my friend wrote."

Red knew that it was best to follow her but he felt is if the secret of past was within the mountain. When he told her so, she looked conflicted and he understand why she felt so. He promised that he would take her to her friend but he was selfishly looking for his past. "You're right. I'll look for my past but I'll keep my promise to escort you safely first."

Yellow had to admit that she was as interested in his past as he was since it could be tied to the dragons she considered her friends. She knew that she had to be careful since she didn't want him to reveal the existence of dragons. "I understand but I think that people in the village might be able to help us since I found you near it. Maybe it's your home."

"That would explain how I know the path through his mountain," Red muttered to himself but a part of him knew that wasn't the case. No matter how much he forced himself, he couldn't envision the village but he could easily see the blurry image of the forest. Something was calling him deeper into the forest and stopped himself from following the indistinct voice.

"We should hurry before we upset the souls of the dragons resting here," Yellow's soft voice became louder than the voice of the forest. They had strayed from the path Blue drew but Yellow knew that they were still able to find their way. Without drawing Red's attention, she asked a squirrel for help and it nodded. "Blue's map says that we should head north."

"I hope that we'll be able to reach your village before nightfall. It'll be difficult to find a safe place to stay on this steep mountain." Red noted as he scanned the area. The mountain was mostly isolated and he hoped that they wouldn't be attacked by thieves. The uneven ground wasn't safe to fight on since he could imagine Yellow losing her balance easily.

"It shouldn't be much further," Yellow told him. She kept her gaze forward, forcing herself not to draw attention to the church they would pass soon. Even if it was mostly hidden in the mountain wall and forestry, she didn't want to risk Red seeing it. She had found the church on pure chance but was glad that she did since she and Blue became close friends that day.

Red walked in front of her when they came to a rocky portion of the path and held out his hand to help her walk steadily up the mountain. Her hands were small and warm but also familiar to him in a way he couldn't explain. Did he know her in the past? It couldn't be since she would've told him if it was so. Looking into her amber eyes, he searched for a spark of recognition.

But there was only kindness and sharp intelligence in her eyes. He hoped the friend that wrote him the letter would give him the answers he was looking for since he felt lost without them. Who was he and what kind of life did he live? Red felt as if there was something he needed to do but he couldn't remember what that goal was.

Yellow broke away from him and ran to a bush. Red didn't know what caught her attention until she pushed aside the leaves to reveal an injured deer. He knew that he shouldn't be surprised when she tended to the animal's injury but something in him told him such kindness was rare. She placed her hand over the animal as she often did and he wondered if there was any importance in the action.

"Don't worry, I'll protect it." Yellow stood and shrugged her bow off her shoulder. After a moment of hesitation, she nocked an arrow. The deer told her that thieves were plaguing the mountain recently and they were becoming dangerously close to finding the church. She turned to Red, "Please stay here and look after the deer. I must investigate something."

Yellow ran off before Red could answer her and she desperately hoped that he wouldn't follow her to the church. Blue and Silver were in the village so they wouldn't be able to reach the church in time to keep the dragon heirlooms safe. Even if they hid their treasures in the caves, she needed to deter the thieves from exploring the mountain.

While people often attack the village, there had been an increase in the amount of people that search the sacred grounds. Yellow wondered if there was another explanation beside human greed. On the path to the church, she spotted a small group. From their actions, she knew that they were trying to track an animal and she feared they were looking for the church.

"May I ask why you have trespassed onto sacred land?" Yellow approached them but kept her arrow pointed at the ground. She didn't want to attack them since she hated fighting. She was certain that she would be able to convince them to leave the mountain without force. "Your presence will anger the spirits of the dragons. Please leave now."

"What can one little girl do to us?" One of the thieves approached her and she stepped back to keep a distance between them. While Yellow appeared small and frail, she was strong and quick. Yellow ordered them to leave once more but she knew from their laughter that they wouldn't follow her command.

She tightened her grip on her arrow and pulled the string on her bow taunt when one of the thieves rushed towards her. Before she could use her arrow, an arm came around her and pulled her back. Her aim became askew and her arrow landed harmlessly on the ground. Yellow turned sharply and her surprise matched the thieves' when Red stepped in front of her.

He was worried when Yellow ran deeper into the forest and followed her after he helped the deer. When he saw her confronting the thieves, he instinctively stepped between them. With quick movements, Red deflected the thief's sword with ease and placed the flat edge of his blade on the man's shoulder. "I believe the lady told you to leave this mountain. Do so."

The man only gawked at Red for a moment before his eyes turned dark. "My lord, you cannot tell us to leave this mountain. We were ordered to find the dragon heirlooms."

 _Lord?_ Yellow's mind raced at the title. She had detached herself from reality when she was young and wondered if Red was a member of the court. The other thieves lowered their weapons but the one speaking with Red continued to glare at him. "Why are you will a village woman? Have you betrayed us and joined with them?"

As much as the man's words hinted at his past, Red only became more confused. He wanted to ask them if they knew his past but he doubted they would answer him. He kept his blade on the man's shoulder as a silent warning and his gut told him that if he moved his sword, the man would attack.

"What do you want with the dragon heirlooms?" Red asked.

"Lord Red, do you not remember your role?" The man asked and Red looked at the ground with conflicting feelings. If he allowed them to linger, they could hurt Yellow and that wasn't worth knowing his past. Something told him that protecting others was what he lived for and he wouldn't betray that instinct. "If you have chosen to betray us, we must arrest you."

The two men behind him lifted their weapon and rushed to attack him but Yellow reacted quickly. She aimed her arrow at one and forced him to a stop by pinning him to a tree. Using her bow, she struck the second man unconscious. Red had already disarmed their leader and she ran to where his sword fell. As she took the sword, she asked. "What authority do thieves have?"

"We can't let you leave if you know about our plan," the man spoke quietly and Red heard a footstep behind him too late. Neither he nor Yellow was aware of the fourth thief until he attacked Red. When Red turned to block the man's attack, the first thief stabbed him with a knife.

"Red!" Yellow ran to his side and placed pressure on the wound over his heart. Her focus was on him so she couldn't stop the thieves from escaping. She started to study his wound but stopped when she found that his skin mended itself, leaving no scar.

"You're always healing me, aren't you? You certainly have the healing touch." Red placed his hand over hers to stop her. He looked over her shoulder and saw that the thieves ran deeper into the forest. "We should go quickly or else they'll attack us again. You should lead."

Yellow hesitated before nodding. With the men's words, her doubt only grew and she was afraid what she'll discover about him. If he was helping the thieves, that would give Blue and Silver a reason to attack him. Until she knew for sure, she had to watch him carefully.

Red followed her deep in thought. He felt the knife stab him but it was soon followed by soft warmth and the feeling confused him. But at the same time, it triggered a memory in him. Taking his sword without her noticing, he sliced his palm and he watched the wound heal itself again. A voice echoed in his ears and he knew he couldn't repeat them to Yellow.

* * *

"Please, Crystal!" Lyra ran after her sister and begged but Crystal gave her a stern face. She bowed her head deeply and asked once again, "Teach me how to fight. I know how to use my whip but I want to know more. I want to be able to fight beside Silver."

"There's no reason for you to fight! It's my role in the family to fight. Even if that wasn't the case, I won't let you go out and fight." Crystal told her. Silver watched their exchange and sighed. She said that she wanted to be his partner rather than his master but he never took her words to heart so it surprised him that she was asking her sister to train her.

"But everyone's fighting and I want to lend my strength." Lyra argued and hoped that she would be able to convince her sister. "I know you're worried about my safety but I can fight! I'm already skilled with the whip and I've read every book about the battles involving dragons."

"If your sister refuses to fight you, I'll teach you." A voice came between them Crystal jumped back when she recognize the voice. It was the bard she met and it concerned her that he hadn't left the village yet. He claimed that he couldn't leave since his horse disappeared but something caused her to doubt his words. "I'll teach you how to use the most powerful weapon I have!"

Gold pulled out his lyre and handed it to Lyra. She knew the irony of the instrument he gave her and sighed. It didn't seem either her sister or the bard took her request seriously. Handing the lyre back to Gold, she muttered. "I don't want you to teach me to play an instrument. I want to know how to fight without my whip."

Gold watched Lyra leave disappointed. He had to admit that the women of the village were different from the noble he met. None would ask to learn how to fight let alone fight. He was waiting for Red to arrive and until that time came, he was tasked with collecting information about the village. "Do you train the other villagers? She seemed determine to have you train her."

Crystal wondered how much she could reveal to him without endangering the village. She looked to the library where Lyra ran into. "Usually someone else is in charge of training the warriors but it was different for Lyra and me. Our mother taught us how to fight and its been a tradition in our family to do so. Since our mother died, she must expect me to teach her."

"But you don't want to because you don't want her to get hurt. The further away from the battle she is, the safer she would be." Gold could easily guess the situation she was in. He understood both sister and knew that any advice he could give either of them would fall on death ears since they were stubborn. "You two must love each other."

"We only have each other left and if I don't protect her, who will?" Crystal didn't know why she felt comfortable around him but she found herself opening up to him. Ever since their mother died, Crystal vowed she wouldn't let her sister die either. She felt Gold's hand on her head she looked up at him in shock. His smile, like the sun, shined and had the ability to part the clouds.

"You're strong." He smiled and Gold genuinely respected that fact. "Do you know the tale of the dragon siblings? The elder wanted to protect the younger so he never taught the younger how to fly so it would always stay in the cave. One day, the younger dragon tried to fly to prove the elder that he could. He flew and flew until he reached the sun. The younger was never taught the danger of the sun and died."

Crystal knew the reason he told her the story and sighed. He ruffled her hair again and grinned down at her. "I'm not all that good at fighting either so maybe while you teach Lyra you can also train me. Bards aren't known for fighting but the world seems filled with thieves and one should be able to defend themselves."

"I'll think about it," Crystal told him and walked away. "I need to go hunting. Maybe I'll find your horse and you'll leave before I'm able to teach you."

"It almost seem like you want me to leave and that breaks my heart." Gold laughed at himself as he watched her leave. "But I intend to have that lesson in exchange for the story."

* * *

"My sister is being so stubborn! I don't understand why she won't train me." Lyra complained to Silver. She sat against the wall, curled into a ball and Silver thought she looked silly with her cheeks puffed. His chest tightened and he knew that she needed comfort but didn't know how to give it to her. With a hesitant hand, he patted her head. "You understand right?"

"I don't understand." Silver admitted. "We're already bonded so I'll fight your battles. You don't need to learn how to fight as well or bother with gaining my trust by calling this a 'partnership' rather than what it is. There is no reason for you to risk your life."

"You're just like my sister!" Lyra felt frustrated and brought her fist down on his shoulder. It wasn't strong enough to hurt him and he knew that she wanted to let her frustration out so he didn't restrain her. She let out a frustrated breath and leaned her head on his shoulder. "I want to fight with everyone. This is my village and my family. You're a part of this now so we'll fight together."

Silver couldn't remember a time a human offered to fight beside him and didn't know what the best thing to say. "I don't know if you'll be able to become skilled enough to help us in battle. If anything, you might be more of a hindrance than a help. It'll be nearly impossible for you to become trained enough to fight."

Lyra sighed but Silver went on. "But it was said to be impossible to find the last dragon too. If anyone has the determination to do the impossible, it would be you. I'll train you if you promise me that you'll find a way to break the blood bond and free me."

"Thank you, Silver!" Lyra hugged him and he awkwardly placed his arm around her. She grinned up at him. "You know I'm already looking for a way to save you but this is my promise to you."

She looked up to him, her eyes full of promise, and their eyes locked. Silver didn't know why she was staring at him with wonder when he was a dragon. He found himself staring at her as well and didn't know if he should lean towards her or away. Only the sound of someone entering forced him to move and he leaned protectively over her as he faced the intruder.

Blue strolled into the room and smirked when she saw the pair. Silver groaned since he knew that his sister would read too much into his action. She stopped him before he could leave. "Wait, I heard that you were going to train her. I think that you could use some training as well. So I'm going to train you two to fight as a _team_."

Silver knew that it was better not to fight her since it was the lesser of two evils and nodded. "I'll do what you think is best, sister."

* * *

 **I don't know how frequently I'll be able to update (at least compared to my past pace) because I'm still updating two stories at once since I can't chose between them. Luckily the two stories are very different so there won't be much repetition in them.**


	5. Dragon Training

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or any of the characters**

* * *

"Don't lose your balance or hesitate when you're attacking. If you hesitate, your opponent will take advantage of it." Blue ordered as she fought with Silver. He brought up his arm to block her kick but he was barely able to defend himself since her attacks were so quick. Within a heartbeat, she was able to jump back and put a safe distance between them.

"I thought I told you that you shouldn't hesitate. You could've countered my kick instead of blocking it. I won't be hurt easily so take this training seriously." Blue sighed and relaxed her body. Even though Silver offered to help Lyra train, she knew that he didn't have the heart to fight someone he cared for even if it was merely practice. Despite how he looked and acted, she knew that his heart was soft.

Lyra watched the pair fight in awe and wonder if she would be able to fight at par with them. Blue had told her to watch them for the moment and study their fighting stance. They were currently fighting without their weapons since Blue believed Lyra needed to learn basics again. Eagerly, Lyra waited for them to finish. "Can you teach me how to fight now?"

"Don't be so eager," Silver muttered. He remembered the bloodlust in his previous master's eyes when they trained but there was nothing but innocent wonder in Lyra's eyes. She pouted when she heard his words and he turned away from her so he wouldn't fall into her eyes. "Battles aren't a game so take this seriously. No sane person would let you fight if you don't."

"That's why we're training her." Blue pointed out. Lyra nodded excitedly at Blue's words and he could see the comradery between the two forming. His sister patted her shoulder and instructed her to show her a battle stance. Before Lyra could move, Blue began to rush her. Silver moved as quickly as Blue did and blocked her attack.

"See, you can't hesitate when fighting." Blue smiled at how quickly Silver reacted to protect Lyra. But the sight also made her worry since she didn't know how much was due to the bond's influence or Silver's own instinct. "But I want you two to learn how to fight together. You won't be able to support each other when fighting if one is protecting the other only."

"I'll do my best to support Silver then!" Lyra vowed and Silver knew the conviction in her voice was true. He knew that she didn't need to make the promise since Blue's words were directed towards him. They had been together longer than history and he could easily understand the true meaning of her words. It would be better for Lyra to learn how to fight and protecting her too much wouldn't help her grow.

"I trust you to protect my brother." Blue said to encourage Lyra but she knew better than to trust a person completely when she barely knew her. She stepped back and gestured to Lyra to attack her. "But that doesn't mean that I'm not going to train you 'til you're ready to drop dead. Now the best way to be able fight together is to know your strengths."

"I'm good with a whip!" Lyra offered the information in hopes that it would be of help. She began listing several things her mother taught her before she died. Silver had only seen her fight twice and he doubted that they could find a way to fight together since they were so different. "I'm sure that if we fight together enough, we'll naturally begin working together."

Lyra sound much more confident than either Blue or Silver felt. She was a blind optimist but he found it slightly encouraging that she believed in them so much. Blue thought over what the best way to train them to work together was for a moment. She clapped her hands together and ordered. "I want you to fight each other!"

"What?" Lyra and Silver gawked at her in shock for a moment. Silver was the first to shake off the shock and said. "I thought you wanted us to fight _together_ not _against_ each other. She's my Dragon Master so I can't fight her. I won't fight her."

"Then let's make this more interesting." Blue spoke evenly but a coy smile played on her lips and he knew that she planned her rebuttal already. "If you lose Lyra, Silver and I will return to the mountain and we won't protect your village anymore. On the other hand, if you win we'll teach you a secret dragon fighting style that'll give you the power to protect the people you love."

"That's silly, Blue." Silver rolled her eyes at her proposal since he knew that she couldn't force the terms. The blood bond wouldn't allow him to leave Lyra's side for long. Before he could tell Blue so, he sensed a faint hint of danger. He instinctively jumped back and saw that Lyra had tried to punch him while he was distracted.

"I'm sorry Silver!" She told him even as she tried to attack him again. He caught her fist easily and tried to think of a way to restrain her without hurting her. Her fighting wasn't refined without her whip and the thought of her in an actual battle became more worrying. "Please don't go back to the mountain until the village is safe."

"Keep your center of gravity low so it'll be easier to keep balance and you'll be able to transition into another attack easier as well." Blue gave Lyra several instructions and she adjusted her fighting style. Silver felt frustrated but could only continue to block her attacks. "Use more varied attacks so your opponent won't be able to predict your next moves."

"But you haven't taught me any fighting moves!" Lyra turned to tell Blue. The moment her assault halted, Silver took the opportunity to restrain her arms. She tried to pull out of his embrace but it was obvious he was stronger than her. "This isn't fair Silver!"

"Stop struggling and I'll let you go. Neither Blue nor I are going to abandon you. She was just trying to provoke you into fighting me for a reason I don't know." Silver felt her body relaxed and he let his arms drop to his side. It was a shock to him that she had attacked him so easily. He pushed the thought from his mind and turned to his sister, "What was that?"

The seriousness in his eyes were new to Blue since it was the first he ever directed it at her. She laughed it off since she was glad that he was showing his emotions more easily now. "I wanted you two to be able to understand each other's fighting style by fighting. You'll be able to find a way to blend them if you know the strength and weakness of each. So what have you learned?"

"That Lyra has no fighting style." Silver spoke bluntly and Lyra flinched. He didn't meant the words to be an insult since he only wanted to point out the simple truth. "And we can't teach her the dragon fighting style since a human body won't have the durable to withstand the training. The only choice is for me to compensate for her weaknesses."

"Don't talk about my sister like she's an invalid." Someone clicked their tongue and they turned to see Crystal approaching them with her arms crossed. Lyra was worried that Crystal would try to stop her from learning how to fight with Silver and started to argue. She only raised her hand to stop her argument. "Our family has their own fighting style and I'm sure Lyra can learn it."

"You're going to teach me?" Lyra asked with a hopeful tone. Crystal hesitated before nodding and Lyra's face beamed in reaction. She didn't know what convinced her sister to change her mind but she didn't want to lose the opportunity. "Thank you so much Crystal and I promise that I'll be a great student! I can't wait to learn how to be a great fighter like you and mom."

"Mom was a great fighter," Crystal agreed with a fond smile.

That smile was as bright as the stars and it made Gold feel slightly guilty as he watched the group. While he wanted to encourage her to teach her sister so their relationship wouldn't be strained, he also knew that it was a good opportunity to study the village's fighting style. It was his role to find as much useful information as possible to make their plan a success.

The group drew the attention of the younger villagers. It was clear that they respected and love Crystal since they gathered around her. Gold had to laugh at how awkward Silver looked among the children who constantly asked him to lift them into the air. He had visited many villages in his time as a bard and was shocked that the children were so cheerful when there was always the constant threat of battle.

Green joined them to relieve Silver of the tiring job of entertaining the children. He fit into the leadership position easily as he taught the children simple self defense. As he watching them, Gold felt like an outsider. The group appeared to enjoy themselves and Gold found their smiles attractive enough to tempt him into joining.

"What could go wrong?" Gold spoke the famous last words of many and left the shadows of the trees to join them. He yelled out a greeting to them and wasn't surprise when only the children returned to the greeting with any hint of trust. He knelt down and ruffled the hair of the first that approached him. "You all look like you were having fun and I wanted to join you."

"Green's teaching us how to fight!" They crowded him and he found their enthusiasm infectious.

"I'm no good at fighting so maybe I should join you and learn how to fight." He looked up and his eyes met Crystal's. He teased the previous day about having her teach him to fight but he found the thought that it would be a pleasant experience. "I don't know how to use a sword so maybe you can teach this simple bard how to defend himself. I'll teach you something in return."

The kids pushed Crystal in front of him and she wasn't sure if she should humour them. He gave her a rakish smile and she found herself giving in. She gave them simple instructions on how to block an attack and found that Gold adopted it so quickly. "So how is my form, teacher? Am I ready to fight against a dragon with this?"

"I don't think any of us can kill a dragon." Crystal laughed and Gold wondered how she would react is he told her that he was entirely serious. She would most likely think that he was mad since she added. "You know that dragons are extinct."

"You're right." Gold nodded. He didn't want them to notice his heart changed so he changed the subject. Turning his attention to Silver and Lyra, he pulled out his lute and began to tune it. "I promised that I would teach you guys something in exchange. I was watching you two try to work together and this little lesson might help you work together."

"You're going to help us work together by teaching us how to play a lute?" Silver questioned and Gold grinned mischievously. Silver regretted the question when Gold explained his plan with a soft chuckle.

"The best way for you two become familiar with each other is for the two of you to dance." Gold told him and Silver knew that he wouldn't be able to leave when Blue clapped her hands in glee. He had already started to play his lute and Blue push Silver and Lyra together. The pair blush bright red and he could sense Lyra's heart beating quickly.

"I'm sorry I don't know how to dance," Silver admitted and Lyra laughed nervously.

"Neither do I. Do you want to try it just a little? Everyone's having fun and I don't want to ruin the mood." Lyra held out her hands expected to him and he hesitated slightly before taking her hands. He told himself that the Blood Bond compelled him to dance with her but having her hand his felt right to him. Gold started his song again and Lyra took the lead.

They simply glided over the ground, travelling in a small circle over the field. Silver gaze was focused on the ground as he tried to keep his feet from stepping on hers. To his surprise, he found it easy to match his steps to hers. Her face was flushed even though a smile played on her lips and he could feel both of their heart beat quickening.

Silver finally looked up from the ground once he was confident that he wouldn't step on her feet and found himself staring into her eyes. She grinned up at him and he was wondering what she was thinking to make her smile so wide. Both forgot about the world around them but they still danced to the soft tune of Gold's lute.

He was so lost in her eyes that he didn't recognize a scent until it overwhelmed him. Silver pulled away from Lyra quickly and covered his nose in a desperate to calm his stomach. It was the distinct scent of dragon blood but it was so much stronger than when he first noticed it. He looked towards the forest but the scent faded quickly.

Why did it suddenly appear?

"Silver?" Lyra reached out to him but Blue quickly pulled her back, not knowing how Silver would react to a human touch currently. Blue herself was pale since she hadn't been overwhelmed by the scent of dragon blood since the war centuries ago. "Is something wrong?"

"A large group is coming." Blue muttered to herself as she forced her senses to not focus on the blood. She turned to Green and told him the fact louder. If he was worried, he didn't express it and calmly asked her which direction they were coming. "I can hear a large amount of horses coming from the west. They're fast too so I don't know how long it will be before they arrive."

"Kids, go home now. Lyra, evacuate everyone who can't fight." Green ordered them calmly so they wouldn't panic. Lyra took one of their hands and ushered them away. Green didn't hesitate before giving more orders despite how often they heard them. "Crystal, go find their exact location. I'll gather people to take into battle and I'll give more orders once you come back with more information."

Crystal was already running to the west. Another villager was tasked with watching the forest to the west and she wondered anything had happened to him since he would've returned with news of an army approaching. But Crystal knew that she couldn't let the thought weigh her down when she needed to gather information and ran quicker.

Gold ran after her, his mind was racing as fast as hers. Why was the king bringing his army so soon?

* * *

Green tied his sword to his belt and faced the group before him. They had been through the motion of battle countless times but he felt that it was his duty to assure them that he was going to lead them into battle and then lead them home. He refused to let a single person die.

He formed two groups. One would go face the army and the other would stay in the village to protect the mountain in case the first fail. Hopefully it wouldn't come to that but Green wanted the assurance that if he failed, there would be someone protecting the village. He also ordered Wally to take any villager that couldn't fight to a safe place.

He didn't say a word as he turned and led his group to march towards the battle. Luckily, the army was small and nothing beyond their ability. The thing that worried him the most was the fact they carried the king's flag. Gold told them that he captured a dragon so it was obvious he would also seek the treasures hidden in the mountain.

"We should be able to cut them off before they reach the forest. We'll send up a flare if they're able to pass us." Green told Ruby, the warrior he assigned to lead the second group stationed in the forest. It was routine to do so and he would reply with the same strained smile. Sapphire, who stood next to him, was more vocal with her reply.

"He won't be lookin' for it since we're gonna come back alive. I gotta win the battle since this man canna fight without fretting over the silliest things." She placed her hands on her hips. Sapphire spoke the words roughly but he knew that she was more concerned than anyone else. Ruby knew it as well for he only patted her head and told her that he would be waiting for her to come home.

Green hoped that he could help the pair keep their promise to each other. He turned his horse towards the west. Blue stopped beside him, her eyes scanning the fighters Green had gathered and wondered how strong they were. Her eyes fell on Sapphire who was looking back at Ruby. "Are those two married? Those two fighters must be strong since they look confident about each other."

"They're not married yet." Green answered her though he didn't know why she would ask him about their relationship. "They would be if they're both not so stubborn. Then again, it's hard to be in love and get married in this village. You never know when the other's going to go into battle and die. Why are you interested in getting them together? You know you're trying to do the same for Silver and Lyra."

"Well I think they're cute together so when we come back I'm going to be their divine dragon and bless their marriage." Blue told him her plan proudly. There was a hint of sadness in her voice as she went on. "Dragons are known for the destruction they cause and the fact that they're also known to bless marriages is strange. It's one of the positive things I can do for you humans without fighting."

"There's a lot people can accomplish without fighting but until we find a way to protect ourselves without, it's the only way we can survive without giving up." Green sighed and forced himself to lead his group into battle. Currently, Crystal was trying to slow down the king in the shadows but he knew that there was only so much she could do without putting herself in danger.

Lyra had the same thought as she watched the group leave. She was supposed to leave with the other villagers that couldn't fight but she couldn't bring herself to do so. Despite the fact that they had barely started training, she wanted to help. Silver had already left with his sister to fight and she didn't have a way to follow them. Suddenly a horse appeared in front of her and a hand reached out to her.

* * *

Crystal waited for the horses to approach before she pulled a string and released a trap that would force the horses into a mud trap. The knights panicked for a moment but they quickly abandoned their horses. She was glad that the mud wouldn't hurt the horses but she couldn't allow them to reach the village.

She couldn't face the knights alone and could only slow them until Green arrives. Wally already returned to the village to inform Green about the enemy so she knew they would arrive soon. The knights regrouped and she took the chance to kick a smoke ball in their direction. She did so gently so it wouldn't explode until it landed on the ground near the group.

"It came from that direction." One of the knights followed the direction of the smoke ball and pointed at the tree she hid in while another tried to smother the smoke. She knew she couldn't hide any longer and jumped down from the tree. Without waiting for them to react, she raced forward to fight them. Her mission was to take down as many as she could now.

Crystal dodged their fists and slid to a stop in front of one. Lowering her body, she easily kicked out the legs of one of the knights. Their armour protected them from her attack but she hoped the impact of the fall would hurt them. Her fighting style was center around kicks and fast movements so it wouldn't be easy for them to catch her.

But she knew she couldn't depend on her speed when there were so many. They began to surround her and it was becoming difficult to find an opening for her to dodge their attacks. She wasn't proficient with weapons but used her dagger to stab the hand of the knight that tried to grab her. Crystal escaped the circle they were forming around her but she found herself trapped against a tree.

"Die!" A knight lifted his sword above his head and aimed it at her. It was coming down too fast for her to dodge so she instinctively lifted her arms over her face. The distinct sound of metal being trapped in wood made her lower her arms to attack him again. To her shock, she found a cloaked figure standing above her, the knight's sword caught in his lute.

"Sorry for coming late." She recognized the voice and lute as Gold's. He also wore an oversized cape that hid his body and face. The lute was looked damaged beyond repair but Gold didn't appear to be worried as he faced the man without fear. She didn't know how he could do so since he had told her that he didn't know how to fight.

"Green's coming soon so get back where it's safe." To contradict his claim to being untrained, Gold easily pushed back the man with his lute. He then broke his lute to reveal a rapier hidden within the instrument's neck. With a practiced hand, he disarmed the knight and pointed his tip of his sword at the knight. There was a murderous silence in the air until they heard the arrival of Green.

"Gold?" Crystal watched in shock as he wounded the knight and ran back into the forest. She wasn't able to follow him before her attention was focused on the battle again. When she joined the battle, she was shocked to find Lyra coming towards her. She was riding a horse pulled it to a stop in front of Crystal. "What are you doing here? You're supposed to be with Wally!"

"I want to help!" Lyra begged. She slid from the horse and pulled out her whip. In the midst of battle, neither could argue for long before another knight attacked them. Lyra tried to keep her focus on her sister to protect her but she felt something heavy in her heart and her eyes naturally searched for Silver. When she found him in the battle, he was fighting beside his sister.

Relief that she found him, her dragon, flooded over her and raced to him so she could help him. Lyra dodged the knights as best as could. She never been in a battle before and was surprised how quickly everything happened in front of her. Despite that, Silver and Blue fought together flawlessly and a voice in her heart made her wonder if she could be of any help.

"Silver, watch out!" Lyra screamed when she saw that a knight was about to attack him. She used her whip to restrain the knight's arm and pull him forward. Silver had sensed her presence the moment she appeared and he cursed whatever brought her to the battle. She reached his side and stood in front of him protectively. "I told you that I wouldn't let you fight alone so don't leave me behind ever again!"

"You can't fight!" Silver argued even as he punched another knight. With her beside him, he could feel the dragon within him try to escape to protect its master. He couldn't allow it to do so since he needed to keep his identity a secret. He needed to end the battle quickly.

"Fall back!" The knights suddenly retreated and he didn't know what caused them to run away. But he couldn't help but feel glad that the battle was over quickly. Silver let out a relieved breath as he watched them leave but his back was still stiff. They left just as quickly as they came so what did they accomplish in such a short time?

And the smell of dragon blood still lingered in the air.

* * *

 **Some people ask if I'm going to have other ships in this. Yes but it'll only be in short moments like the Franticshipping one because I don't want to crowd this fanfic with too many ships. I love my ships so I'll find any opportunity to involve them in small roles.**


	6. A Part of Our Village

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or any of the characters**

* * *

"They ran away." Green watched them leave but the sight didn't loosen the tension in his shoulders. He kept watching, expecting them to return and continue the battle. Even though he should've been grateful that the battle was short, something seemed out of place to him. He debated sending someone after them to discover their intent but knew it would be too dangerous. "Let's go back to the village."

"Wait," Blue's legs were shaking slightly as she watched the group leave. The smell of dragon blood still lingered in the air despite the fact that the knights were leaving. The scent only appeared when they attacked so why didn't it disappear with them? "I think one of the knights is still here. There's an unfamiliar scent in the air."

Green waited beside her and he tried to sharpen his senses but he couldn't find anything out of place. Blue hated that her senses were failing her now since they were overwhelmed by the scent of dragon blood. A part of her knew that there was another reason she couldn't use her senses to her fullest potential was because of the memories of the war clouding her mind.

"Silver, are you okay?" Blue's first instinct after she couldn't find the source of the blood was to comfort her brother. Blue knew that he would need her support more than anything else. His face was pale but he didn't show any of the traumas she knew he was experiencing again. Lyra moved beside him and rubbed his back though he didn't react to Lyra's action or Blue's voice. "Let's get you back to the village."

"But how were you able to get here?" Silver questioned Lyra in a harsh voice when he was able to speak and she looked down guiltily. She wished that she had been more help during the battle so she could prove to them that she was an asset to them. "Who in their right mind gave you a horse when you can barely fight? Why did you even come when we barely started training you?"

"I'm sorry," Lyra bit her lower lip and the pain she felt sent a distinct pain through him. Crystal wanted to know who gave Lyra the horse as well. When she looked for the horse, she was surprised to find that it had run away during the battle. "But I had to come to help you. And I promise the person that gave me the horse that I wouldn't tell you that he did."

"That's silly! Why would he make you promise that? It doesn't matter now. I'll shake some sense into him when I find him! Everyone in the village knows that I won't allow you to fight." Crystal sighed heavily and Lyra knew that she couldn't reveal who helped her since she didn't want him to face Crystal's wrath. Silver looked equally angry and she bit her tongue.

"Stop acting so protective when no one got hurt." Green commanded as he interrupted their argument. He knew that they were all too stubborn to end the argument with a logical solution. While he agreed that Lyra wasn't ready to fight in a battle, he couldn't blame Lyra for wanting to help. "We have injured people so we need to treat them before anything else."

"I'll help bring some back." Blue easily lifted one of the injured men over her shoulder. With Green's help, she helped them onto their horses and the horses followed Green when he whistled to them. Seeing that there weren't enough horses to carry everyone back, Blue turned to Silver. "Let Lyra ride with you. She lost the horse she came here on."

"But-" Crystal started to argue that it wasn't proper for Lyra to ride with a man they barely knew but Green cut her off, telling her that they needed to focus on returning to the village. Despite the fact that she didn't want to follow his order, she knew that she had to prioritize others. She kept Silver in the corner of her eyes since she still didn't know how much she could trust him with her sister.

"I'm sorry that I wasn't more help." Lyra said to Silver after they had ridden for a while. He didn't answer her for a moment, deciding to collect his thoughts first. Silver could still feel his heart tighten when he thought back to her rushing into the battle. "But this is the first time you'll fight for us and I already promised that I would be by your side every battle. I-"

"And I promised that I'll protect you!" He interrupted her. "But that's hard to do when you won't even use your head before running into battle. Did you even consider what would happen if you died? I won't be bound by the bond and anything keeping me tied to the village would be gone too. If you won't think about yourself, think about the village and your sister."

"You don't need to say it like that." Lyra said softly. Silver felt her heartbeat against his back and it helped soothed his anger. Honestly, the reason he felt angry was because he couldn't deny the fear he felt when he saw her enter the battle and the possibility of her dying became apparent to him. He could only blame the blood bond for forcing the confusing feelings onto him.

"Just don't do anything rash like that again, okay Lyra?" He sighed and she could hear the concern in his voice. Despite how cold his words seemed, there seemed to be something more hidden beneath them. She tightened her arms around his waist in an answer that was neither a yes or no.

* * *

Red watched the group ride away as he hid in the bushes. While they were traveling to the village, they had heard the distinct sound of fighting and Yellow ran off to help. He had intended to do the same but when he saw someone in the group that sparked his recognition, he pulled Yellow back and forced her to hide with him. He held a hand over her mouth and he was certain she could feel his racing heartbeat.

"They're gone." Red whispered after he counted the silent minutes that passed. He scanned the field again before he left the bushes. Both groups had left and he was glad that Yellow didn't fight him earlier or else she would've drawn their attention. Even though she didn't fight him, he could feel her eyes on him and he could almost hear the questions she had.

"Why did you hold me back?" Yellow asked in a small voice since she didn't want to accuse him of anything. A part of her wanted to believe that he only did so to protect her but she didn't know if that was the case since he did start to help before he hid in the bushes. "I'm a healer and the best way I can help others before they're hurt is to stop them from fighting."

"You really are a caring person. That's an admirable trait but I don't think you should just rush into a dangerous situation. Those people were dangerous and I promised to protect you while we travel to your friend's village." Red said after a moment and even to him those words sounded like a lie. He was never one to run from a battle but his gut told him that he couldn't face the woman he saw.

"How did you know that they're dangerous? Did you remember something about your past when you saw them?" Yellow asked. She wasn't able to see the people fighting clearly before Red pulled her back so she wondered who the people fighting were. Doubt and worry already clouded her image of him and she wished that he would give her a reason not to think such about him.

"I don't remember much but I think I knew one of the people that were fighting." Red sighed since he knew he couldn't keep things from Yellow without risking her trust. He chose what to tell her carefully. "I think that warrior cursed me but I don't remember why or what she did to me. I don't want to face someone like that until I regain my memory."

Yellow felt that he was still holding something back but she didn't want to force him to reveal more if he wasn't ready. It was a relief to know that what he told her so far was the truth. She looked back to the battle torn field and wished that she had seen who were fighting. Red seemed like a kind person so what reason could someone have to curse him and what was his curse?

"I still trust you and I want you to continue to take me to the village. I'm sure someone there will be able to help you get your memories back." Yellow tried to reassure him when she saw that he looked guilty. Red remembered the letter he had in his bag and that the author of the letter was waiting for him in the village. He was so close to finding who he was.

"I'm sure you're right." Red smiled at her and he was glad that he agreed to help her. Her kindness made him feel like he could trust her and he felt comfortable around her. Forgetting how shy she could be, he ruffled her hair. "Thank you for staying by my side."

* * *

"You're not playing your lute." Gold looked up to see Lyra standing above him. He sat in the shadow or the trees playing his lyre for a moment of privacy and thought the other villagers would give him that. Lyra was the last person he thought would confront him since he thought her sister would be the one to first face him with questions.

"My horse was carrying my lute and it ran away mysteriously." Gold shrugged and tried to keep his tone light. He couldn't afford any of the villagers suspecting him too much but knew that Lyra and Crystal would have questions for him. When they rode on his horse, he made her promise that she wouldn't tell anyone that he helped her but he wasn't sure Crystal would stay quiet about his presence at the battle.

"I didn't tell anyone that you helped me but I still want to know why you lied about losing your horse. When you first came into the village, you said you couldn't leave because your horse ran away. My sister also said that you didn't have a horse when she met you. Who are you really, Gold?" Lyra asked and he knew that he wouldn't be able to evade her question easily.

"Aibo has always been a smart and loyal horse so I knew that he wouldn't travel far from the village even if I released him. I wanted to stay in this village because I'm curious about it since it's not on many maps. If I really wanted to hurt you, I wouldn't have helped you. I'm just a simple barb looking for a new muse." Gold explained and he was glad that she was so trusting since there wasn't any doubt in her eyes.

"That doesn't explain why you would put Lyra in danger," Silver said accusingly as he stepped out from behind the tree. He was suspicious when Lyra told him she wanted to speak with someone in private and was glad that he followed her. Gold held up his hand in surrender as if he already knew that Silver would lecture him. "The next time you put her in danger, I won't let you go with just a warning."

"You know if you keep frowning like that, you'll grow old quicker." Gold didn't know why but Silver's sneer made him laugh. A part of him knew that he was trying to appear meaner than he actually was. He stood and placed his hands in his pocket. "Don't worry, I won't do anything to put your wife in danger. You must be really in love with her in you're getting this angry."

"We're not married!" They both denied at the same time and Gold laughed harder since he didn't know whose face was redder. Both stumbled over their words but Silver was the first one to collect himself. "We might not be married but she's important to me so I don't want your idiotic schemes to involve her. But beyond that, there's no reason for you to stay here so let this village be."

"This time my horse really is gone so we're back to where we started. I'll go look for him again but I don't think I'll find him anytime soon. Look like we're stuck with each other!" Gold patted Silver's shoulder and the man rolled his eyes in reaction. He brushed off Gold's hand since he didn't know if he should trust the human. "Until then, let's be friends."

"He would love to be friends!" Lyra nudged Silver and he sighed. She didn't think that Gold had any bad intention since he helped her and she thought that they could be friends since they were both outsiders to the village. She hoped that Silver would be able to open himself up more and speaking with others would give him the chance.

"I never had a friend as interesting as you two before." Gold admitted as he leaned back against a tree. He travel so much that I never stayed in one place long enough to make a significant connection with a person. Even though he was able to get along with others easily enough, he only considered one person a close trusted friend. "Let's get back to the village and get something to eat!"

"He's a strange character," Silver commented as he watched Gold's back. While his laughter seemed honest, there were times when he would catch Gold looking more solemn as he watched the villagers. It was his duty to protect Lyra and he couldn't trust a stranger to the village not to hurt her. He tilted his gaze to Lyra but she didn't appear to be worried.

She took his hand and led her back into the village. Lyra looked back at him and her eyes telling him that it was okay for him to trust but he didn't know if he could give his trust as easily as she could. Before they entered the village against, she stopped in front of him. "You weren't hurt in the fight, were you? I didn't think to ask since you didn't seem to have trouble riding but if you're hurt I want you to tell me."

"The battle was short." He said instead of answering her question. Lyra noticed his evasive answer as well and puffed her cheeks. She placed her hands on his cheeks to keep him from stepping away from her as she examined his face. Even though she didn't seem bother by their closeness, Silver felt his heart quicken under her piercing gaze.

"Stop making a fuss, I didn't get hurt and it'll be pathetic if I got hurt in such a short battle. I did get hurt but, as a dragon, I heal quicker than you do so you don't need to worry. Now can you let go of me?" Silver told her and she realized how close she was. Blushing, she stepped away from him. "You worry too much about me when you don't have to."

"Even if you think I'm being silly, I want you to tell me when you get hurt. We're partners and it's not fair if I make you take all this on your own."

"If something does happen to me you'll feel it here," Silver pointed to his heart and she mirrored his action. He knew that she wouldn't understand fully since she only recently became his dragon master. "I already told you that we're connected. You'll feel any pain I do but it won't kill you so no matter how far away we are from each other you'll know if I'm alive."

"But I want you to tell me, not some bond I accidentally forced on you." Lyra told him and he sighed. He lifted his sleeve slightly to reveal a purple bruise on his upper arm, muttering that it wasn't much. Careful not to hurt him, she took his other hand. "We have something that will help bruises! Even if you do heal quickly, the ointment will help with the pain."

"You really don't need to!" He tried to stop her but any argument he had died when she tilted her determined eyes up at him. Silver couldn't understand why she wanted to help him when she had nothing to gain but he couldn't deny her. When she felt that he stopped resisting, she smiled in triumph. "Why are you smiling like that?"

"Because you're starting to trust me." She told him.

* * *

"Aren't they cute together?" Blue grinned as she watched her brother let his dragon master heal him. It was a strange sight since she knew his past yet the only hint of discomfort he showed was a slight scowl that was offset by his blush. It was only a small bruise but Lyra took great care in treating it. When she tilt her head down to focus on the bruise, Silver lifted a strand of her hair away from her eyes.

Blue closed the door to let them have their privacy. Even while she watched them, she made sure that Silver wouldn't notice her since she wanted to see how he acted with Lyra when no one was watching. If he didn't have a distrust of humans and dragon master, she wondered if he would fall in love with Lyra. The thought was nice but it also made her feel a little lonely.

"But it's about time that stubborn brother of mine grew up and start his own family." Blue walked away from the room. The hospital they had wasn't elaborate like the one her last dragon master owned but it was obvious that the villagers cared about each other as they tended to each other's wounds. That simple caring made it better.

Green was speaking with the group that were injured and Blue could see that they respected him. If he asked them to follow him into battle again, she knew they would without a second thought. He was able to lead people with nothing more than respect but she knew what it was like to be forced to follow a person out of fear.

"I don't think there'll be another attack so I don't want you guys to worry about training or going off to battle. Just focus on healing." Green patted one of the men on his shoulder. He stood and his eyes met Blue's. Even though her eyes were on him, he thought that there was a distant look in her eyes and he wondered what was going through her mind.

"Thank you for helping us," he said when he stopped in front of her and she simply said that it was the least she could do as their guardian dragon. He was usually too prideful to acknowledge anyone else's skill but he couldn't deny that it was because of her that there weren't any casualty. "I need to warn you that sudden battles like that aren't uncommon."

"Lyra already told us that and we're used to fighting like this so you don't need to trouble yourself with us." Blue told him and he wondered if that was the reason she didn't panic. "But it's really sweet of you to think that I'm fragile and need you to worry about me."

"I never said you were fragile. I need to protect even the strongest warrior under my command since they're my responsibility. I made a promise to never let anyone die if I can help it when I became chief. You're a part of this village now so that includes you." His last words touched her more than it should've but it was the first time someone offered to protect her outside of a blood bond.

"Caring about a dragon like me? If I didn't know any better, I would think that you're trying to make me fall in love with you." She teased and he clicked his tongue at her. Blue laughed and Green could feel the others turning their attention to him. Even though she was new to the village, she held herself with confidence and didn't seem bothered with others stared.

"If you want me to fall in love with you, the best thing you can do is take care of my brother. Girls love it when a guy protects their family." Green knew that she was only trying to provoke him so he rolled his eyes. If he gave into her, she would win a battle he didn't think they would be having.

"Pesky girl, if I wanted you to fall in love with me I would've tried something already. Anyways, I don't think you need me to protect you or Silver." He easily shot back softly and she was surprised at how they could fall into an easy conversation even if they were merely shooting quips at each other. Despite the lines of his face that suggested he was annoyed with her antics, he didn't leave.

"But I meant what I said at the beginning. I'm thankful for your help and the fact that you protected us makes it feel like you're already a part of this village." Green told her. "Lyra's also trying really hard to make you guys feel welcome so it's obvious how much you two mean to her. If you need anything, you can come to me."

It was almost second nature for her to listen for him to ask for a blood bond but he didn't. Blue knew that his parents and grandfather were knowledgeable about dragons so he must know about the bond but he hadn't brought it up to her once. She wondered if she should ask him but she didn't want to create any tension between them since she, like Silver, vowed never to form another blood bond with a human.

"I need to go train the other warriors so we're not short on people if we're attacked again. I want you to rest and not to worry about fighting too much since that's my job." Green ordered her and he took an apple from the basket someone left for the injured. "I'll check up on you after I finish training. You look a little pale in the hallway."

Green walked away before she could ask how he noticed. She had wanted Silver to travel to the village so he would be able to interact with humans and move beyond the memories of the past but now she didn't know if she had made the right decision.

Neither Blue nor Silver wanted him to be trapped in a blood bond so they originally thought they could easily kill Lyra once Yellow cleansed the poison in him. But she didn't know if Silver would have the heart to kill her now. And Blue didn't know if she could either.

 _It's almost like you're a part of this village now._ Green's voice echoed in her mind but she didn't know if there was much truth in his words. One battle wasn't enough to make her a part of their family so she wondered if she could believe those words.

The unknown meaning behind the words wasn't what scared Blue, it was the fact that she wanted to believe them.

* * *

 **I live for Gold being a total troll to Silver and Lyra. Also need to start putting in more oldrivalshipping but I more inspired with the other three ships. I finished writing My Dark Prince and immediately started writing this because I know I won't find another time to write. For the last four weeks (excluding reading week) I had at least one midterm every week. My schedule still looks like that so I don't know when the next opportunity I have to write but it feels good to write again.**


	7. The Smell of Dragon Blood

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or any of the characters**

* * *

"Careful," Red warned Yellow as he helped her climb down the rocky mountain side. They were drawing closer to the village and something in his gut kept him on his guard. That feeling only grew the closer they were to the village. But he couldn't turn back when he promised to protect Yellow as she travelled. He couldn't help but remember the woman he saw and wonder if she was the reason he was worried.

The woman did spark a memory even if it was of her cursing him. Speaking to her and the person who sent him the letter was the best way to learn who he was before he lost his memory. One of them must be able to tell him why his body was able to heal itself. Even though having an immortal body would be a gift, he instinctively thought of it as a curse.

"I'm okay but I'm worried you're the one that's going to fall." Yellow said when she saw how distracted he was. He was moving down the cliff with an absent look on his face and his words would trail off when he spoke with her. The ground was uneven and someone could easily lose their footing if they weren't careful. Red was a large man so she knew that she didn't have the strength to save him if he fell.

"I'm the one that's supposed to be protecting you." He reminded her with a light laugh. But when he looked up to her to reassure her with a smile, he stepped onto a loose rock. Luckily he only staggered slightly so she was able to steady him by hugging his waist. He placed his arms around her in return and he was glad that didn't accidently drag her down the mountain with him.

Red thanked her and felt her body relaxed against him as she let out a relieved breath. She barely reached his shoulder and appeared to be fragile at first glance but he was surprised that her thin arms were so strong. He knew that her heart was strong as well since throughout their journey, she wouldn't hesitate before helping somebody. So why did she ask for his protection?

Yellow realized how close their bodies were and flushed. She couldn't move her body away from his quickly since she could easily fall. Luckily, he was able to detangle them without falling and he held her at arm's length. Still her heart beat quickly even after he let her go. Unlike her, Red didn't seem fluster and grinned down at her instead. "Thank you for saving me."

"It was nothing." Yellow told him quickly. She looked down at her feet and tried to hide her blush even though he didn't seem to notice it. When she looked down, she noticed a cluster of flowers by his feet that they almost trampled. Kneeling, she cupped her hands around the flowers to protect them as Red stepped around them. "I'm glad we didn't step on them."

"You really are a kind person," Red knelt next to her and looked over the flowers that she was tending to now. She arranged rocks around the flowers so that the wind wouldn't hurt it and he began to help her. Seeing her protect the life of a simple flower invoked confusing feelings in him. It reminded him how kind she was yet it made him feel incredibly remorseful.

As he focused on the flower, he found himself drawn to it. Suddenly, his vision blurred and he clutched his head when he felt a pressure fall over him. Fighting the pain, he tried to smile reassuringly when Yellow placed her hand on his back. The pain lessened but when he looked back to the flower, it was on fire. Panicking, he tried to smother out the fire.

To his surprise, he didn't feel the heat of the fire beneath his hand so lifted his hand to find only a crushed flower. The fire looked real to him a moment ago but now he was wondering if his mind was playing tricks on him. Yellow looked at him worriedly but he didn't know if he could explain his action to her. He couldn't say anything but, "I'm sorry."

"Is something wrong?" Yellow asked since she was more worried about him than the flower. Its stem was broken and she couldn't save it but the confusion in Red's eyes was still present. While there was no questioning his fighting ability, she didn't think he would hurt another without reason. Looking into his eyes, she could see that he felt guilty for crushing the flower.

"They were pretty and it's a shame that they died but there's always something we can do for it." Yellow open the bud and took out its seeds. She placed them in his large hand and she could feel the strength in his hand as she did so. "We can plant these seeds at the bottom of the mountain where it's easier for them to grow. The cycle of life isn't something that we can change but that makes life all the more important."

 _Then what am I?_ Red asked himself as he looked down at his hand and felt heavy thoughts echoed in his mind. He couldn't hear them but felt them weigh down on him. When she spoke of life, he felt somber. He already found his body could heal itself which confused him all the more than his instinctual reaction to life. As he looked down at the seeds, he found himself feeling envious of their fragile life.

"I'm a healer and I see death more often than most people but these things never get easier. I don't think a human could become numb to the feeling no matter how long they live. But that feeling should drive us to fight rather than to give up. That's what my friend taught me. She's been through a lot and I admire her for her strength. We don't know your past but I know that you're a good person."

"We should plant these in the village so the people there can take care of the flowers even after we leave." Red smiled at her. He still doubted himself and felt uneasy but it didn't weigh down on him as much. A part of him was still worried about his past and why he was cursed. If only he could regain his memory but they always felt just out of reach.

"We should go so we can meet my friend. She's a wonderful person and I'm sure she'll be able to help you regain your memory." Yellow wanted to reassure him but she also felt conflicted. If he was attacked by a dragon, he could be a danger to Blue and Silver. He was kind to her now but how much differently could he be without his memory?

Yellow stood but she found that her legs suddenly felt weak and she had to sit again. A strong breeze washed over them then and he quickly reached around her to keep her hat from flying away. She reached for her hat at the same time and her hands landed over his. Their eyes met when she looked up at him and they began to laugh after a moment. "Thank you."

Any awkwardness he felt because of the flower and his lost memories faded away. Her presence was calming and he wondered if it would be better for him to stay in the mountain with her rather than learning the reason he was cursed. It was a cowardly thought but it crossed his mind briefly before he reminded himself that he needed to know.

"The sky is beautiful, isn't it? Wouldn't it be nice to be a cloud and just have not a thing to worry about?" Yellow lay back on the ground where there weren't many rocks. He lay next to her and stared up at the sky as well. He could see over the trees to the village below and further. She appeared tired so he decided to enjoy the moment with her. "It would be nice to able to fly."

"That cloud looks like a dragon. If it was real, we could fly with it." Red said with a light laugh but Yellow sat up quickly. Her eyes reflected sheer horror and he wondered why she had such a reaction to his words. "Are you afraid of dragons? Don't worry, they don't exist anymore and if one were to attack us, I'll protect you."

Yellow stared at him as if she was seeing at a monster for the first time and the look cut him. She pulled her knees to her chest and bit her lower lip. "Dragons have just as much humanity as we do, as does every animal in this world. They're not tools to be used for fighting and that thinking only led to their suffering and death. I honestly don't know if I can say who is more dangerous: dragons or humans."

"I don't know either." Red said softly. He wondered if he had any memories connected to dragons because he had a distinct image of them in his mind. Surprisingly, he agreed with her despite the bloody legends that surround dragons. "If we befriend a dragon, we can fly with it. That was what I meant. I didn't mean to say we use them as tools."

"That's easy for you to say but even the best intention could lead to horrible things." Yellow remembered Blue telling her about the blood bond and the life she and Silver were trapped in. She needed to reach the village to cleanse the poison in Silver so he could break the blood bond he was in currently. It was a marvel that a dragon master still existed and was able to trick Silver.

"I'm sorry I upset you but will you allow me to stay with you? I want to plant these seeds with you." He held out his hand to her and she couldn't see any ill intent in his eyes. She took his hand but her legs still felt tired and he grinned down at her. Red knelt in front of her and gestured for her to climb onto his back. "I'll carry you down the mountain."

"Are you sure?" She asked and he nodded. After hesitating for a moment, she wrapped her arms around him. A little gasp escaped her when he stood and adjusted his hold on her. She could feel the strength in his arms as he held her securely. He took off quickly and she tightened her hold on him. As he made his way down the mountain, he could feel Yellow's heart and it was comforting.

* * *

"Will you just stop!" Green and Silver found themselves yelling at the same time and Lyra found herself laughing in reaction since they both had a similar expression. They glared at each other and Blue was glad to see him interacting with humans.

They were in the library, searching for more information about dragons and Lyra had no shortage of questions to ask Silver. At the same time, Green wanted to find information on the king in Lyra's library but Blue was entertaining herself with pestering him. It was rather ironic that they both snapped at the same time. "Don't you have someone else to bother?"

"Not really," Blue answered Green and he raised a brow at her. She flipped through the history book he was reading and skimmed through the words. From the corner of her eye, she watched Lyra and Silver. The pair brought a smile to her lips. "They're the only two that I can really talk to but since I don't want to interrupt their moment, you have to entertain me."

Green thought that someone as sociable as Blue would've made other friends in the village. When he thought back on her interaction with the villagers, he noted that she was friendly but distant with them. She did offer to help protect his village she he didn't want her to feel disconnected from the village. He closed the book he was reading.

"I'm sure you'll have more fun talking with another woman but you can help me with this. Just pass me any book you find with a reference to the king. My grandfather told me that the best way to defeat your enemy is to learn everything we can about them." Green hand moved quickly as he took notes on the book he was reading. "I need to think of a strategy."

"The king was a monster and his knights were just as strong. He had knights as powerful as dragons once but they all died in the war against my last dragon master." Blue told him. Both her master and the king were hungry for power and in the war there would be no winner. She remembered the last battle she fought. "Those knights almost seemed immortal."

Green could only imagine what she went through but she didn't express the trauma she must've experienced on her face. "But those knights were killed just like the dragons. Only the cowards that ran from the battle survived. That king was only strong because he was able to train a strong army but on his own he was weak. He must've known that too since he ran the moment his army started to fall."

Throughout the ages, Blue grew to hate men who took advantage of those loyal to him in battle. But it was something she came to expect. Green sighed and leaned back in his chair. "No doubt he trained another army. If it's anything like the one you fought, we won't be able to defeat them head on. If only we could see exactly what we're up against."

"With the divine power of a dragon, I shall grant your wish. Silver, I'm going out for a while so play nice with the humans while I'm gone." Blue claimed and pulled on his arm to drag him out of the room. Silver started to follow her but Blue gently rocked the ladder Lyra was standing on so she would fall. As Silver caught her, Blue had escaped out the window with Green in tow.

* * *

"Maybe a cup of tea will calm you down," Lyra suggested but Silver didn't seem to hear her as he paced through her library. She stood on top of the ladder to find a book but her gaze was constantly drawn to Silver. She understood why he would want to chase after his sister and felt guilty that she was holding him back. He couldn't leave her when he was bond to her.

"My sister is out there with a human!" Silver glared out the window and Lyra worried over what he might do to Green when they returned. "She could've waited until she told me what she was planning to do. What if he tricks her into a blood bond like-"

Silver stopped himself before he could finish but he could feel the sting of Lyra's guilt. An awkward silence fell around them and they both waited for the other to break it. Silver knew that she hadn't meant to trap him in the contract but the distrust he felt towards humans was instinctual. While she hadn't abused her power, a part of him was always waiting for her to do so.

"You don't need to worry about Green and Blue making a blood bond. I'm sure he knows about it but he won't demand it of Blue when she already gave her word to help protect this village. Everyone in the village respect him because he is truly kind and caring beneath that hard exterior." Lyra opted to reassure Silver instead of addressing his comment.

"I just wish I knew where they were going." Silver sighed and was glad that she didn't comment further of their own blood bond. She turned back to the shelves and skimmed the titles but she didn't have the smile that he was used to seeing on her face. He saw that she was frequently climbing up and down the ladder to reach a new book.

"Which book are you looking for? I'll push the ladder so you don't have to climb this thing over and over again. You'll probably fall eventually, considering how clumsy you are." Silver asked when he saw her start to climb down again. She hesitated since she didn't want to give him an order but he looked up at her earnestly and she knew that he felt guilty for his harsh words.

"Please push the ladder a little to the right." She asked him and he nodded. The ladder rolled easily due to the wheels at the bottom but he was still careful not to push it too fast. Looking up at her, he could see her brows furrowed as she went through the books. He knew Green was looking for books to develop a strategy but he didn't know what Lyra was looking for.

"I'm looking for books on how to break a blood bond." Lyra told him when he asked. Finding a book, she slid down the ladder carelessly and he placed himself under the ladder so he would be able to catch her in case she fell. She landed lightly and he could tell that she seem accustom to the action. Smiling, she showed him the book.

"I already told you that I'm going to find a way to break the bond so you can protect this village by your own will. It's just really hard distinguishing fact from legend so I've been asking you a lot of questions. Sorry if it got annoying." Lyra had always found it easy to speak with others and hated that she felt like she was walking on eggshells when she spoke with him.

She sat on a large chair and skimmed through the book, only looking up to ask him a question. Her hands stopped on the image of a knight riding a dragon through the air. Truthfully, she always had the dream of flying through the sky with a dragon but she doubted Silver would let her. "I wish there's more books on dragons and the blood bond. Are you sure you don't know how to break it."

Silver knew that he couldn't reveal to her that the only way the bond could be broken was through death. She looked at him with trust in her eyes and he wondered what she would think if he told her. Would she suspect that he and his sister were planning to kill her? That was their intention but when she looked up at him, he didn't know if he could bring himself to do so when Yellow arrived.

Lyra pulled her legs to her chest and thought back to when she feed him her blood. How could a simple action have such consequences? She remembered reading something but she could only translate a few of the words. "Maybe if we look at the book again, we'll be able to find passage that will tell us how to break the bond."

He knew the book she was referring to but he didn't know if he should trust her with the book since it held sensitive knowledge on dragons. "It's written in an ancient language and I doubt we'll be able to understand it. Not even Blue and I are able to read that thing beside a few words. My sister took it just in case there was a scholar that could decode it."

"Well you're looking at the scholar of everything dragon related." Lyra exclaimed and Silver brows furrowed at the claim. If she did discover that the bond could only be broken is one of them die, a rift could be created between them. "I was able to read it a little too! I'm sure with time I'll be able to translate it if you gave me time."

She jumped from her chair and pulled out a box of letters. "These are letters from a thousand years ago that were penned by dragons to their king. He had them translated and I've been comparing the languages to teach myself. If we use these I'm sure we can learn so much- not just about the blood bond but also about dragons from that book!"

He didn't respond and she could see that he was thinking over the options. Lyra bit her lower lip and tried to look into his eyes for an answer but she could only hear hesitation. She took his hands then. "What can I do to make me trust you? I want to help you if this bond doesn't make you happy. But I can't do that when you always push me away."

"Of course this bond doesn't make me happy but I've been protecting those artifacts from humans so I can't simply give you one now. Even if you don't use it for your own gain, another human could take it from you. My sister and I promised that we would never let dragons be abused by humans ever again!" There was no longer hesitation in his eyes and she knew that he wouldn't give her the book.

"Just look at these letters. You said that they were from a thousand years ago and that a dragon wrote them to the late king so how did they fall into your hands?" He asked her and she flinched at the question since she knew that he was expecting the worst possible answer.

"My sister bought them from another scholar that she met when scouting for information. The letter mentioned dragons and she thought that I might be able to use them for my studies." She told him honestly and he looked slightly surprised. "Not all humans have bad intent and I only want us to help each other. I didn't ask to be your master. I was trying to save you!"

"I know." He sighed and ran his hand through his hair since he didn't know how else to continue the conversation. How could he continue to argue with her when she looked so hurt? "I'm sorry but I can't hand you that book. There's nothing we can do about this bond so let's focus on fighting together."

Silver walked by her to leave but as he passed her, he heard her whisper. "I wanted to be friends with a dragon when I was young but not like this."

* * *

Silver watched Lyra and Crystal fight from a distant. He didn't join them because he didn't feel comfortable with Lyra after their conversation. But he couldn't bring himself to stop watching because he was worried she could be hurt fighting so stayed to watch over her.

"The air is changing and the flowers are blooming." Silver looked over his shoulder to find Gold leaning against a tree next to him. It always shocked Silver how he could appear without a sound even with his enhanced hearing. "Don't you love the smell of spring?"

Silver took a deep breath of the air but the scent of burning iron made him stop. It turned his stomach and his face paled. The scent of dragon blood. Lyra noticed how pale he became and ran to his side but he didn't respond to her even when she placed a hand on his back. He turned in the direction of the scent and saw that it came from the path leading into the mountain.

A man and a woman stood in the path. Silver bared his fangs at the man with distinctly crimson eyes since he smelled of dragon blood. The man was clearly human and the only reason he could smell of dragon blood was if he killed a great number of them. For the first time in decades, his emotions got the better of him and he ran towards the man to attack him.

"Wait!" Silver was surprised when Gold was the one that stopped him since he had disconnected himself with the fighting around them. But he was able to tackle him to the ground and restrain him. Gold looked between Silver and the man with confliction before looking decisively at Silver. "Red's a friend. Trust me."

"I'm sorry," Red walked towards the man that saved him cautiously. "But are you the one that sent me this note? I don't remember who I am."

Gold's mind started to race. Red was never an actor and he could tell that he was being truthful. How was their plan supposed to succeed if he didn't have his memories?

* * *

 **Drop this here and run off to continue studying.**


	8. Castle Break

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or any of the characters**

* * *

"For a village that's not very welcoming, you're pretty quick to help others." Gold noted as he watched Crystal set a basket onto the table. Crystal allowed Red and Yellow to stay in a spare room in the infirmary while they waited for Green to return to make a decision. Gold needed to stay close to Red while he decided to what to do now that their strongest fighter didn't have his memory.

Even though his mind was racing with possibilities, he appeared to be absentminded as he picked at the food Crystal was placing on the table. From the corner of his eyes, he watched Red speaking with Yellow. Gold wanted to speak to him but it was difficult to find a moment alone with him. Yellow hadn't left his side and Gold felt as if he was being watched.

Ironic that he was the one usually watching others. He could feel Crystal's eyes on him but he didn't hint that he knew she was doing so. Of course she would have questions for him since he protected Red. His façade of being a simple bard was beginning to fall apart, if it already wasn't because he protected Crystal. Why did he even risk the plan to protect her?

"If you have any question, you can ask." Gold told himself that their plan was already useless and needed to know what she thought to make a new one. He continued to eat to forge a relaxed atmosphere despite how tasteless the bread was. "You fed me so it's only fair that I give you something in return. Answers are probably more valuable to you than songs."

"Who is he?" Crystal tilted her chin to Red. She sat across from him so she could look into his eyes. Even before he expertly restrained Silver, she knew that he wasn't a bard. What did he want from her village? Were Silver and Blue involved as well since they arrive in the village shortly before he did? "What is your connection to him?"

"He was my master and trained me." Gold answered honestly but Crystal knew that it wasn't the entire truth. "I met him on another mountain while I was travelling as a bard. Bards aren't really known for fighting so he taught me how to defend myself in exchange for information. He doesn't travel far from his mountain so it's strange that he's here."

"You have no idea why he's here?" Crystal asked him.

"I haven't spoken to him in years." Gold told her to evade her question. He hadn't spoken with Red but they traded letters. "I don't think you need to worry about him. He lives a simple life and doesn't care about wealth so he won't exploit your village for its gold or treasures. And if there's anything he could care less about than wealth, it's dragons."

"Then why did Silver attack him?" Crystal asked but Gold wondered the same thing. He had gather information on the village but Silver lived in the mountain. Red had always been secretive about his past but Gold doubted that a mountain man like him had any enemies.

"If my travels had taught me anything, it's best to wait and see where things go. Relax and eat. You need to take care of yourself." Gold pushed a plate towards her. "If anything happens, I'll protect you. I'm not a skill fighter but I can take care of myself and people I care about."

"You already proved that when you protected me from that knight but I don't understand why you did. What's keeping you in this village?" She asked him with distrust and he knew that she was right to doubt him. This wasn't a woman that he could easily fool. He did admire the trait in her but couldn't let her stop him from getting revenge.

"Your village is strong but small. Even if you were able to fight off treasure hunters trying to steal from your mountain, you'll eventually face an enemy much stronger than that. Shouldn't you open your arms to someone offering you help?" Gold asked her and she leaned towards him with sharp eyes.

"You speak as if you know that someone's going to attack us."

Gold knew that if he wanted her trust, he would have to give something in return as well. He honestly didn't care for the king and his plan except for the opportunity to kill the last dragon. The villagers were kinder and he liked them more than he thought he would. Maybe he could find a way to kill the dragon without endangering the villagers.

"I was employed by the king to tell the tale of his greatness but I didn't intend to travel to this village at first." Gold began his lie. "I had to see this village for myself when I overheard a couple of knights. They were planning to raid the mountain for dragon heirlooms to use in this ritual. I wanted to warn you but I knew you wouldn't believe me so I decided to stay and protect the village myself."

"Why would you protect a village of strangers by going against your king?" She wanted to believe that he was telling her the truth but years of conditioning told her not to. There was something about him that threw her off. She felt as if there was a part of him that he was holding back and hiding from her.

"I was going to leave right after I warned you that the king intended to resurrect a dragon army. The reason I stayed was because this village is everything mine wasn't. My home was peaceful and not a single person felt fear or wondered when their next battle will come. It baffles me to see children having to train at such a young age to protect something long gone."

"Dragons protected us once and we need to stop people from using their treasure to hurt others. This is our home and we'll protect it." Crystal knew that their village wasn't the best one for children to grow up in but everyone in the village truly loved each other. The Golden Mountain had more than just buried gold and dragon heirlooms. It was home.

"Those children, who were trained to fight, laughed and danced when I played my lute." Gold thought back to the first time he entered the village. "The children in my village did the same. One more person won't be much against the king's army but it might be enough to protect a life. My mother risked her life to protect our village from a dragon so I don't want to see yours consumed by it."

"Your village was attacked by a dragon? But they've been extinct for centuries." Crystal felt skeptical.

"It feels centuries ago." Gold tilted a look towards Red and he knew that, if he had his memories, he would say that memories of dragons would still be fresh in his mind.

"You do understand that if you stay with us, you'll be going against the king and the village won't protect you since you're still seen as an outsider." Crystal asked him and he nodded in response. She wondered if he truly understood the risk. "I'll speak with Green about this when he comes back."

"Thank you." Gold knew that she was wrongly putting a lot of trust on him and that she would most likely regret it. She didn't respond as she excused herself to speak with her sister and Gold waited for her to leave. This could be the only opportunity he had to speak with Red privately. The only thing he needed to take care of was the healer.

He pushed himself away from the table and gestured to Red to gain his attention. While he nodded towards the door, Red stared at him confused and Gold sighed since it showed Red truly didn't remember anything about their mission. "You wanna go fishing? We can speak privately while we catch dinner for the village. It's the least we can do since we're imposing ourselves on this village."

"I'll ask if they have a fishing rod we can borrow. Will you come with me Red?" Yellow offered her hand to him and he was about to take it when Gold stopped him. Her brows furrowed at the action since she wanted to keep Red by her side. Silver's reaction to Red worried her but she wasn't able to ask him why he did so before he ran into the forest. What if Red was truly a danger?

"You should wait here for Blue since she'll return soon." Gold explained and Yellow also wanted to speak to Blue quickly. Was it alright for her to leave Red alone? "We're old friends and I'm sure Red wouldn't want you to hear the stories I can tell about him. I remember this one time we were visiting this hot spring, I stole his clothes and he had to walk back naked to the hotel. Then there was the time-"

"You must have a lot to catch up on so I'll go wait for Blue." Yellow blushed and quickly left. Gold chuckled while Red blushed with equal embarrassment.

"Did you really do that?" Red asked hesitantly. Gold appeared to be his junior but acted so familiar with him. The boisterous laugh he made sounded familiar but didn't spark a memory in him. He was friendly enough and seemed good natured so Red followed him outside of the house. As they walked, Gold told many embarrassing stories that left Red more confused.

"You were the most oblivious person I know and most wouldn't think you would survive in this harsh world long. But I guess we're similar in that way." Gold and Red stopped walking when they reached the river. He couldn't sense anyone watching them so relaxed. "Where to being?"

Red barely flinched when Gold threw a knife at him, catching it without a moment's hesitation. At first he didn't know how to react before Gold began to laugh. "At least your instincts haven't dulled from losing your memories. Sit down, Red. I don't know how you'll react to what I have to say."

* * *

"There you are!" Lyra exclaimed when she found Silver sitting in the forest. He was washing his face in the river and didn't respond to her. Without another word, she sat next to him and dipped her feet into the river. After he attacked Red, he ran from the village. Their bond allowed her to feel his emotion but she was still confused why he did so.

The disgust and fear he felt turned her own stomach. He repeatedly splashed water onto his face and she could see that he was still pale. Trying to comfort him, she rubbed his back and he slowly felt warmth spread through his body again. When he was able to breath evenly again, he turned to face her.

"I'm sorry," was all he could say since he felt so pathetic.

"It didn't take too long to find you since I was able to sense where you were." Lyra told him and it was one of the rare situations she was grateful for the blood bond between them.

"We need to go back to the village and warn them." Silver started to stand but he couldn't steady his legs. He sat again and told her. "That man smelled of dragon blood worse than any battle field I've fought in. I don't know who he is but someone with so much dragon blood on his hand cannot have good intention. I don't understand how someone like him could still exist."

"You don't have to afraid." Lyra named the one emotion he refused to voice he felt.

"Of course I'm not afraid. You should worry about yourself more." Silver almost laughed at himself. Even without their blood bond, she would know that he was lying. He was the Last Dragon who only survived because he was a coward that ran away.

"I don't have to worry too much since I know you'll protect me. And it should be the same for you since I'm your partner now. I'm going to do everything I can to protect you so no matter whom we're facing!" Lyra said with confidence and Silver wondered how she could do so. Even if the blood bond made her stronger, she was still human.

"It's the dragon's duty to protect the master, not the other way around." He reminded her and she shook her head as she reminded him that she wanted to be his partner, not master. Their conversation helped him feel more relax and he could almost forget the battle they were in. "If you want to be seen as my equal, you need to train harder. You can still barely fight."

"But there are things I can do. Who can possibly know more about dragons than me?" She asked him and he had to admit that she knew a surprisingly amount of dragon culture. While the information could be useful elsewhere, it wouldn't do her any good in battle. "And if I dedicate myself to my training, I'll be able to defeat you one day."

"As if I could defend myself against you now," Silver chuckled. "If the blood bond doesn't stop me, I'll have to contend with the wrath of your sister. I'm sure mine would turn this mountain upside down if something happens to me. That's why I'm glad that she wasn't here when that man arrived. She's much more powerful than me and I doubt Gold could stop her."

"Then we should find out why that man is here and ask him to leave. The woman with him said that she was your friend so maybe we can trust him. Your sister sent her a letter instructing her to come to our village since she was a healer." Lyra tried to be positive but her words only worried Silver more. He was so confused by hatred for the man that smelt dragon blood that he hadn't recognize her.

Yellow wouldn't associate herself with someone who had so much blood on his hand so what kind of man was he? The more important question on Silver's mind was what he should do when Blue returned. With Yellow's healing ability, she could cure the poison in his body and he wouldn't have a need to be bonded with Lyra.

But the thought of killing her to free himself from the blood bond no longer appealed to him. The decision seemed so easy when they first made the plan. He placed his feet into the water next to her and let the water rush over him. "Lyra-"

He stopped when he smelt the distinct smell of dragon blood approach the so he pulled Lyra into the river to hide their scent. Instinct told him to hide and protect Lyra so he covered her mouth to stop her from swallowing any water. When they emerged on the other side, Silver dove into the bushes and hoped that the person approaching wouldn't notice them.

Parting the leaves slightly, they saw Red and Gold stop at the edge of the river. Lyra couldn't hear what they say but Silver could with his enhanced hearing. "Sit down, Red. I don't know how you'll react to what I have to say. The reason you and I are on this mountain is to find the Last Dragon and capture it. You're the only human capable of doing so."

"But how can I be capable of killing something as powerful as a dragon?" Red asked, confused.

"You've done so a thousand times over." Gold shrugged. "Between my song that can lull them to sleep and your fighting ability, we can easily kill a dragon. That's why the king sought us out. He ordered us to infiltrate this mountain. That's why I sent you a letter to meet in the village. We'll defeat the dragon and with their strongest defense gone, the king can take this village."

"I can't believe that I would agree to a plan like that!" Red argued since none of the words sounded familiar to him. "Yellow saved me and I owe her my life so how can I possibly betray her? Tell that king I refuse to fight against this village."

"I would say 'remember what we're fighting for' but I doubt that would mean anything to you now." Gold laughed but there was no humour in his tone. "I don't want to see people hurt any more than you do and we never intended to follow the king. We both know how much destruction dragons can cause and we can't let either the village or king use them for another battle."

Silver could feel Lyra's hand shake in his when he told her what they were saying and he had to hold her back from revealing herself. "I don't know what they want with you but I'm not going to let them."

"Right now they have the king on their side so we can't confront them now. Let's go back to the village and discuss what we should do." Silver urged her and pulled her away from the river before Gold or Red could notice them leave.

* * *

"Are you trying to kill me, woman?" Green screamed over the sound of the wind rushing around them. Blue had pulled him out of the library and he didn't have the strength to resist her. She then dragged him into the air by transforming into a dragon when they were out of sight.

It felt abnormal flying on a dragon through the sky. How could such a small woman transform into a large beast? Due to how large her dragon form was, he worried that they would be spotted but she cloaked them in the clouds. He could feel a fire burn and its power beneath the cold scales he sat on. "Care to tell me where you intend to take me now?"

"To the castle," she answered him. "You did say that you want to find out what the king is planning. The best source of information would be from the castle. It might be far from the village but I should be able to fly there quickly. We'll get the information and go home before the sun sets so you don't have to worry about anything happening to the village."

"I don't know how you can say that so easily." Green sighed since he could imagine a number of things that could happen in his absence. Another attack was the worst of his worry but he also thought of the children that he trained and the strategies he needed to create. Blue didn't need to turn to him to know that a crease was beginning to form between his brows.

"Stop worrying. Silver's there so protect the village and you train your people well so all you need to worry about is how to break into the castle. When was the last time you took time for yourself?" Blue asked him and he couldn't answer honestly since there wasn't a minute of his life not spent on the village. As if she could read his mind, she said. "I thought so."

"When I retire and appoint someone else to be the leader of the village, I'll have all the time in the world to myself. I can't be selfish and not think of how my action will affect the people. Unlike my father, I'm not going to abandon people that depend on me." Green thought of the vow he made when he became the village's leader. "So I'll hold you to your word that we'll get back to the village before sunset."

"Will I get a reward if I do? We're here so you better jump off before I go into the waterfall." Blue said. She began to descend and he could see a towering building and he guessed that it was the castle. She dove into the waterfall to conceal themselves from travellers since her blue scales blended with it well. Before she reached the water, he slid off her and landed gracefully on the ground.

Blue emerged at the bottom as a human as if she hadn't fallen out of the sky. She often dived into water to conceal her transformation. Green was waiting for her on the river bank, breathing heavily since he climbed down the waterfall as quickly as he could. "That was the most reckless thing I've seen a person doing! Are you hurt?"

"You don't have to worry about a dragon but it's sweet that you do. Are you falling in love with me?" Blue teased and he scowled at her which only made her laugh harder. She tried to wring her hair dry as she made her way out of the water. When she reached Green's side, he held out his cloak to her. "Aren't you a gentleman today?"

"It's my duty to take care of you since you're a part of the village now." Green wrapped his cloak around her shoulders when she made no move to take it from him. "You'll catch a cold if you walk around in wet clothes. It won't do much but it should be enough. We're a bit far from the castle so we need to think of a way to enter before we arrive there."

"Do you underestimate me, Greenie? I wouldn't have taken you to the castle to find information if I didn't already know a way inside." Blue pinched his cheek but didn't elaborate. Without another choice, he followed her without knowing what she had planned. He should be angry that she didn't explain her plan to him but he trusted that she wouldn't explain her plan to him but he trusted her.

They walked along the river which became darker the closer they became to the castle. But her steps were confident until they reached the wall bordering the castle. Green watched as she studied the brown water flowing out of the sewer system of the castle. Of course Blue knew not to enlighten him about that fact as she made an opening.

"Ladies first," Blue tied her skirt before she stepped into the sewer hole. Green followed her and he wondered how many time she used the tight path since she navigated the way easily. The water was as thick as mud but she didn't seem to mind as she waded through the water. She stopped under a wooden door and climbed the ladder next to it.

"This connects right through to the kitchen. I don't see anyone at the moment but we need to be careful." Blue whispered to him as she pushed the door open. He nodded and followed her into the room. "The first thing we should do is find uniforms. Several guards will be patrolling but if we blend in with the staff, they won't question us. From there, we can sneak into the library and the king's room."

Green could only follow her and trust that she knew what to do. She opened a closet and pulled out several garments. "Luckily they still keep the extra uniforms here. The castle probably changed a lot since I was last here but the way to the library should still be the same."

"You can change in the closet, I'll make sure no one comes in." Green offered and she nodded. While she was a dragon, she was also a woman. Many who knew that she was a dragon forgot that so she pleasantly surprised that Green was mindful of her modesty. Through the closed door, she could still hear his voice.

"I know that Lyra said you offered to protect the village but you truly have no reason to come out of hiding. There's no doubt in my mind that you're a dragon but I don't believe you'll go so far for a village of strangers. In the time I've know you, the only thing I am certain of is that you love your brother." Green told her slowly and she wondered if he discovered that Silver was a dragon.

"No matter what is keeping you in our village, thank you." He finished.

"Your welcome." She breathed a sigh of relief. "But save that for when we're home since we need to focus on finding what the King is planning."

* * *

 **Haven't updated this in forever but been more inspired to write my other stories.**


	9. Castle Escape

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or any of the characters**

* * *

Green followed Blue down the hall. From the way she rarely hesitated in her steps, he could tell that she knew her way around the castle well. Because he rarely left his village, he wasn't familiar with the castle and was forced to trust her lead. There was no reason for him not to trust her but giving control to anyone was difficult for him since he had people depend on him for most of his life.

He wanted to question her about where they were headed but he had to wait until they were in private again. Even though the people that passed them only gave them a glance, he didn't want to draw any attention to themselves. His hand always drifted closer to his sword whenever his gaze held another's for too long. Thankfully, they would always move away from them.

"They're staring at you because you're drawing attention to yourself. Just look forward and don't stare daggers at others. I know you villagers see others as the enemy but try to hide it." Blue whispered to him and he forced himself to relax. He knew that she was right and had much more experience than him when it came to breaking into a castle. "It helps if you control your breathing."

Blue listened to him let out a deep breath. While some of the stares were caused by his menacing aura, some of the maids merely stared at him out of curiosity. He was a handsome man, she had to admit, and that would draw the attention of women. The only thing she worried about was if he attracted the attention of someone of a higher station.

She wondered if it would've been better to use the sewer system to make their way around the castle. The reason she decided to risk going through the halls was because she could hear the maids gossiping and Green wouldn't want to wade through waste water. Blue couldn't remember the last time she thought of a human's comfort outside of a blood bond. But he offered her a different type of bond- family.

The castle had changed since she last visited but she was sure she could still make her way around it. With her enhanced senses, she followed the distinct scent of leather and ink to find the library. If there was any information to be found, they would find it in the library or the king's study. She stopped in front of a large door and made sure no one was watching them before pushing it open.

Green's eyes widened when he saw the collection of books on the other side of the book. He knew that his grandfather and Lyra would've rushed to explore the library but he could only stare in wonder. As Blue closed the door, Green went to the closest bookshelf. He skimmed the brims of the books and could easily deduct how they were organized.

Most of the research papers found in the village were written by his grandfather or bought on the rare and often short venture away from the village. He took one of the books and knew that it could help the village but it would also raise suspicion is he took one. How much could he memorize before they had to return to the village.

"If you want one, we can take as many as you want back with us." Blue took the book from his hand and placed it in her bag. He looked conflicted for a moment and she knew that an honourable man like Green would be. She found herself laughing because she didn't have any. "Honey, live a little. That old king wouldn't miss a few books and I'm sure you'll put them to more use than him."

"This book will probably help us develop more agriculture techniques." Green reasoned with himself before stuffing one into his bag. If it was for the good of the village, he would do anything. He found himself taking several other books. "Lyra would be mad if I don't bring back one about dragons. I should get something for Ruby too but it might be too much."

"I can carry this entire bookcase in my claw so don't worry about how much we take." Blue laughed and demonstrated by lifting one over her head. He was becoming accustomed to her boisterous personality so didn't react to her. "But it's sweet that you think of the villagers. You're like everyone's grumpy dad that actually really cares. Which book would Ruby like?"

"He would probably like this entire castle. He'll take anything made of fabric, tear it apart and make something new out of it. That creativity might make him hard to manage but he's a quick thinker and a strong fighter. I can trust him with the village while I'm gone in battle." Green told her and it was obvious to her that he cared and knew his people well.

"What book do you want?" He asked her and she was surprised since she hadn't considered taking one for herself. Books weren't an interest to hers since she never had time for reading in the past. But when he looked into her eyes, she knew that he was serious. "I'm already going to hell for stealing so the least I can do is get everyone in the village one."

"I don't think there's anything here for me." Blue brushed off his offer. She tried to redirect their conversation. "That's sweet of you but, like you said, we can't spend too much time here. We're here to find information on what the king is planning. There should be a secret door that leads to his study from here. We should take any document that looks important."

Green watched her walk past him and he wondered why she didn't take a book for herself. From the way she encouraged him to steal, he knew that she wasn't adverse to stealing. He took a glance at the books before him and wondered if he knew her well enough to pick one for her. When she called out to him to hurry, he quickly took one and went to her side.

"There's a false wall here." Blue told him and tapped her knuckles against the wall. He could hear a hallow echo and he ran his hand over the wall to find a way to open it. She pressed her ear against the wall and didn't hear anyone on the other side of the door. Without a care, she forced the door open. "This way is fastest and he won't suspect that human will have the strength to do this."

"How have you been able to stay hidden when you lack restraint?" Green muttered as he followed her through the door. The lavish room they entered made him frown since there were so many stuffed animal heads on the wall. They were no doubt trophies from hunts and he thought back to his grandfather who told him that life was supposed to be treasured.

Green started to search through the King's desk to find a clue on what he was planning. If they knew when he was planning to attack, they had a better chance of defending themselves. There were several maps littered over the table and their mountain was clearly marked. He quickly scanned the ledger and found that they had the resources to destroy their village.

"Why have their attack been on such a small scale when he has the ability to take the mountain?" Green asked himself.

"It's pointless to storm into the mountain and possibly destroy what they're truly after. Until they find it, the only thing they can do is weaken your village with these attacks." Blue guessed as she leaned on his shoulder to read the ledger. "My previous master would use the same techniques."

"If they want gold, I'll gladly give it to him if it means keeping them from attacking again." There was gold hidden in the mountain but Green doubted it was their only objective. His family spent centuries protecting the mountain for more than the gold it held. They believed in honouring the dragon's resting place and the heirlooms they left there.

Blue opened another drawer to find his log. There were several letters hidden between the pages and she opened one. It was addressed to the king and she could only assume that the writer was a general since it detailed battle plans. They were waiting for a signal before they launch a full scale attack. They had expected the signal to appear days ago but it hadn't appeared.

"They have people searching the mountain right now and when they find what they're looking for, they're going to attack us on both fronts." Blue summarized and Green clenched his teethes. The mountain was large so it was difficult to search it. She studied the map more closely and traced her hands over the areas that were marked.

"These areas marked probably indicate the areas they searched already. The village should be here," Blue placed her finger over an unmarked part of the map. "They haven't found us yet so that's good. Whatever they're looking for, it's safe for now."

Green suddenly closed the log he was reading and there was suddenly a fire in his eyes. "They're looking for a dragon. Gold wasn't lying when he said that the king intended to resurrect an army of dragons. There are notes here about everything he needs to do so."

"So Lyra isn't the only one that believes in the legend of The Last Dragon." Blue could only worry about her brother. Green couldn't have known about her thoughts since he thought that she was the last living dragon. He took her hand and pulled her to her feet.

"I'm not going to let him hurt you or use you. Whatever he intend to do, I'm going to stop him before he's able to reach you." He promised her with conviction. She didn't understand why he made the promise since it would've been simple to hand her over to the King.

"He already has some dragon heirlooms he intends to use for the ritual. We need to destroy them so he won't be able to. Use your nose and try to find where he's holding them. If they're really important, he wouldn't hide them too far from his study." He instructed and she didn't know why he was so intent on protecting her when she only recently became a part of their village.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Throughout the years, she had been searching for dragon heirlooms and the fact the King had some in his precession frustrated her. Dragons did have a unique scent but she didn't know how much they would've faded. And she didn't remember any secret door beside the one leading to the library.

"There's a faint scent here." She took down one of the animal heads but there was nothing behind it. Disappointed, she began to put it back but Green took it from her hand before she could. He searched the wall but didn't find anything either. He was looking at it intently and she didn't know why since neither of them found anything so she asked him so.

"If you say you smelled something here, I trust you. There's something here that we're missing. I'm not leaving here until I know that he won't be able to resurrect dragons to use for an army." He answered her as he studied the wall. He turned the animal head in his hand and noted that it weighed more than a plush would. Tearing it, he found a dragon claw within. "See? A leader knows his people's strengths."

He placed the dragon claw in her hands and she stared down at it. How many years had passed since she had a human trust her outside of a blood bond? What could she even call the bond they had? The trust he gave her made her feel at ease and welcomed despite only coming to the village recently. She just hoped that it wasn't only to convince her to protect the village.

They tore apart the rest of the animal heads and found different dragon parts. It hurt to hold the different parts in her hand and wonder if she knew the dragons they came from. She refused to let them become a weapon of the King and placed them in her bag to take cake to the church. "Green, take the log and letters. I'm turning this room to ash."

"But-" he started to argue since he knew burning the room would cause more trouble but she whipped her fiery eyes at him. It wasn't the fire in them that silenced but the tears that swarmed them. He could only imagine how she was feeling as she held the remains of her comrades.

"We've been used to fight for all our lives and we should have an opportunity to rest in peace. I can't let this man do what he wants with us! This is the least he deserves so don't you dare stop me." She yelled and honestly he couldn't blame her for holding such hatred in her heart. Her shoulders shook so he placed his hands on them to stop the shaking.

"You're already saving them from being used as tools and I promise that the village will fight to keep them from such a fate. We've been doing so for decades now so trust us to protect you. Don't do something stupid and put yourself at risk. Let's just go home."

"Fine but just let me burn his gaudy stuffed animal collection." She pouted and he found himself chuckling. Green nodded since he knew that she wouldn't drop the issue until she could take out some of her rage. When she did, they left the room hand in hand and returned home.

* * *

"They're clearly planning something and we know that Gold and Red are involved. They're searching for our heirlooms and they'll signal the King to attack us the moment they do. I say we dispose of them." Silver argued and slammed his hands on the table. Blue had returned and he tried desperately to convince her. Surely she understood why they had to distrust them.

"But Red doesn't remember anything. We can convince him to join our side and help us. I've travelled with him and I know that he is a kind person." Yellow argued.

"Kind people don't bath themselves in dragon blood." Silver snarled. "He's a skilled fighter but can we really trust him not to betray us the moment he regain his memories? Those two came to our village looking for something so they're the one tasked with sending the signal."

"They have information we need so it's best not to kill them. Red doesn't remember how to send the signal so we only need to deal with Gold at the moment." Blue reasoned and grinned at the group. "And I know the perfect person to do so."

* * *

Gold shaped the brick of wood with his knife. Carefully, he measured the pieces of wood since he knew that the slightest mistake could change the sound of the lyre he intended to make. When he was content with the outcome, he set it aside. He was used to making his own instruments since he used them to conceal his weapons.

He touched the sword on his hip and its weight felt heavier than usual. The cold metal didn't feel as right in his hands as the warm wood his instruments were made of. But he knew that coldness was a necessary part of his survival. Music was powerful but it wouldn't protect him from thieves. It surely didn't protect his mother when the dragon attacked his village.

Since that day, he vowed to kill the dragon and spread the music his mother taught him. The King gave him the opportunity to fulfil his first goal and he could spend the rest of his life in peace. His remaining life as a barb would be spent traveling but the thought made him feel lonely. He stayed in the village but it made him realize he lost his roots.

As he whittled the wood, he noticed a person reflected in the blade. Gold smiled even though he was more curious. "I thought you'll be the last one to try to speak to me."

Silver dropped the armload of wood he was holding in front of Gold. From behind his leg, Emerald stared at Gold with curious eyes. While Gold wasn't surprised that Emerald would approach him, it was a shock that Silver did. Emerald took one of the pieces of wood and sat next to Gold. "I wanted to ask you to teach me how to play the lute you gave me!"

Silver watched the two interact and wondered what made Blue think a child could stop Gold from sending the signal. While the child had been trained to fight by Green, Silver wanted to watch over him in case Gold tried to hurt him. Most would think the boy's age would keep him from harm but Silver had only been a child when he fought in the war and his master didn't hesitate to discipline him.

"Your hands are probably too small to reach all of the strings but I can show you a simple cord." Gold taught Emerald how to hold the instrument. He was always aware of Silver's glare and knew that the man had never trusted him. "That's as much as I can teach you today. I need to fix my own lyre but I'll teach you more tomorrow."

Emerald pouted but ran off with his lute. Silver started to leave as well but Gold spoke to him. "Thank you for the wood. You're actually pretty kind considering how hard your eyes are. I've travelled the world and I learned how to read people's eyes."

"And what do my eyes tell you?"

"That you're been hurt and would rather not go through whatever you did again. But people who know you aren't afraid of that glare since there's no real violence in them. Any woman would be afraid of your eyes but Lyra isn't so there must be a kindness in them that you don't show others."

"Do you want me to tell you what your eyes tell me?" Silver mimicked. "You have a strong conviction and would do anything to see that through no matter how reckless you need to be. So why do you act as if you don't have a care in the world?"

"Because it's better to focus on the present than to dwell on the past." They were the words that Silver needed to hear but they were mute to Gold. The steel bars guarding Silver's eyes told him that the past held him. But it was the same for Gold. "If you let the past hold you back, you won't be able to move forward with your little Lyra."

Her laughter echoed in his mind and he didn't know why it made him blush so suddenly. Gold noticed the rare display of emotion and laughed. "She must really important to you. You seem like a good guy so I'll help you. If you really want to win her heart, move her heart. Do something that you know will become the most important memory to her."

"She's not hard to impress. But I doubt she'll fall in love with a guy like me. Hell, the only thing she seems to love is dragons." Silver leaned back against the tree and stared down at the piece of wood in his hand. He didn't know why speaking to Gold was so easy. "So you better not try anything with her."

"She's nice but I'm not interested." Gold noticed that Silver was turning the chunk of wood in his hand and passed him a knife. "Do you want me to teach you how to carve? You can make something for your little lyre."

* * *

"You made all of this?" Crystal gasped when she saw the animal figurines arranged in a circle. Gold had made so many and told the children that they could have their pick. They insisted that she choose one as well and pulled her to where Gold was handing out the wooden figurines. He grinned when he saw her and looked through the pile for one she might like.

"Here." He handed her a wooden monkey and she its silly expression made her laugh. Even though it was night and the large bonfire was the only thing that provided light, she could tell that the carving was detailed. He patted the spot next to him and they sat watching the children play with their new toys. "They don't get many opportunities to be kids, do they?"

"No, so thank you for doing this for them." She found herself telling him. Crystal had grown up fighting but there were also moments of calm. Those were the one she remembered fondly and was glad that Gold gave them this moment. At first she was worried when Blue said that Emerald should be the one to find more information on Gold but something told her that he wouldn't hurt a child.

"It's nothing. I just made so many trying to teach silver how to carve. That guy is really something but then everyone in this village surprises me. Someone as serious as you would annoy me but you're pretty refreshing." Gold reached over and pat her head since he knew that she would pout at him. He let his hand linger longer and brushed a loose strand behind her ear.

"Crystal!" She jumped away when she heard her sister call for her. Lyra didn't seem to notice the atmosphere around them when she sat between the pair and showed her the book she was holding. "Look at the book Green brought back for me! This has so many research paper and some of them date back before the war. Think of all the things I can learn."

"Now Lyra, let these two have their moment." Lyra looked up when someone took the book from her. Blue grinned down at her with the book in her hand. She tried to take it back but Blue held it over her head to lead her away from the pair. Since she was a tall woman, it was easy to keep it away from Lyra. She wanted to let Gold and Crystal have a moment alone.

"Can't you go a minute without causing trouble?" As she was walking backwards, she bumped into someone and they took the book from her hand. She knew that it was Green when he gave the book back to Lyra. She turned in his arms and stuck her tongue at him since they knew that it was simple teasing. "If you really want a book, take this."

Blue was surprised when he held out a book to her. Hesitantly, she took it and saw that it was a collection of fairy tales. Blue flipped through the pages and found herself smiling. The bright illustrations were childish but endearing to her. "I know you said that you didn't want one but I brought a book for most people in the village so it's only fair that I took one for you as well. I didn't know if you'll like this."

"I love it but I don't know how to read so you need to read it to me." They both knew that she was lying since she already told him that she had written a letter to Yellow. He didn't say a word as he sat down and flipped through the collection. She grinned and called to the children. "Come here kids, Greenie's going to read to us."

Silver watched the village but didn't know if it was right for him to join them. He looked down at the wooden dragon he intended to give to Lyra. It wasn't his intention at first but Gold continued to insist that he teach him. He didn't know what to make until he thought of her. But looking at the dragon in his hands, he felt guilty.

Yellow was in the village and the moment she healed the poison in his body, he had a choice to make. He could either kill her to end the Blood Bond or he could stay by her side.

* * *

 **I know I haven't updated in a long but here it is ^-^ also, I must inform people that it takes a while for reviews to appear. I get the notification that I get a review but it doesn't show up on my page until a few days later. I know this is a problem because a couple anons been trying to post a review a couple times.**


	10. Past Truths

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or any of the characters**

* * *

"Found you!" Lyra blew into Silver's ear to startle him but he didn't move. He looked over his shoulder and raised a brow at her and she blushed when she remembered that startling him was impossible since he could sense her presence with their Blood Bond. "Why are you sitting here all alone? Come and join the fun. It must be boring sitting here all alone."

"Blue looks like she's having fun but I don't think I'll enjoy listening to Green read fairy tales." Silver crossed his arm and Lyra wonder if Green could feel Silver glaring at him. It was slightly amusing watching his expression since she wouldn't expect a serious man like him could make such an adorable expression. "And I'm not good with kids so I'll just sit here."

"Then I'll sit here with you," Lyra offered and sat next to him. She looked over the village and wondered what Silver was thinking since he was so quiet. He wouldn't meet her eyes but she knew that there was something was on his mind. She knew that she could easily compel him to tell her with the Blood Bond but she wanted him to trust her on his own.

"It's really nothing for you to worry about. My sister told me that the King is planning on resurrecting an army of dragons and it's obvious Gold is trying to find the Last Dragon. But when we spoke, he didn't bring up the topic once. You know what we talked about? Food, music and animals. I don't understand humans any more than I did a century ago."

"Gold is a strange person and I don't know what he's truly planning." Lyra agreed.

"But he's a very blessed person. He told me about his home and how it was full of music. Every night they would play music and dance around the fire for no other reason than they want to. It must be nice to grow up in a place so peaceful and never having to worry about surviving." Silver stared at the children playing around the bonfire.

"I want to give them that life as well. They're still young and they don't have to fight yet. I don't want my sister and friends to have to constantly fight either. That's why I searched for you. If people knew we had a dragon, they wouldn't attack us." Lyra drew her knees to her chest and leaned her head against them. "I want to apologize to you for that."

"Apologize?" He was confused by the solemn in her voice since it was so unlike her.

"Now that I know what you've been through and how you've been used, I can understand why you're so against helping me. I'm sorry for making you live through a Blood Bond again. I always prided myself on my knowledge of dragons but I didn't know about that. All I cared about was finding you. I was a little selfish, wasn't I?" She finally met his eyes and he felt his heart move. He placed his hand on her head.

"You couldn't have known and honestly you're the best Dragon Master I've ever had. If it wasn't for you, I would be dead by the poison right now. You saved my life." His hand moved through her hair and she felt her heart beat faster. "There's not much you can do about our situation."

"I know! Come with me." Lyra suddenly stood and took his hand to pull him to his feet.

"Where are we going?" He asked even though he knew from her cheeky smile that she wouldn't answer him. At first he was reluctant to follow her but his curiosity overcame his caution when he saw her confident smile. She led him away from the village and he wondered where she intended to take him. If anyone else had taken his hand, he would've resisted but he found himself following her.

Together, they walked hand in hand deeper into the mountain. He lived in the mountain for most of his life but he didn't recognize the path she was leading him down. It wasn't towards the church which was the only place he could think of that she would want to visit. Silver wondered if she knew where she wanted to go herself. "How much further are you going to drag me around?"

"It's not that much further now." Lyra assured him as she pushed the branches away from their path. She held them so Silver could pass with ease. It was a small act of kindness but the thought touched Silver more than she could know. As they continued to walk, she spoke energetically. "You're going to love this! But you need to keep it our little secret. Do you promise?"

"It'll be our promise." He agreed just as heard the sound of rushing water. She finally let go of his hand and pushed through the last row of greenery before stepping onto the edge of a water fall. There was no fear in her eyes as she walked to the edge of the waterfall and sat on the ground. He stood next to her and admired the sight of the mountain coated in moonlight.

"This is the best sight on the mountain. It's so peaceful and it's almost like time stops here. This might not be much compared to dancing and singing around a camp fire but watching the sunrise is magical as well." Lyra told him and there was something wistful in her tone. "It'll be a while before the sun rises but we can sit and enjoy the view for now."

"You can see everything from here." Silver sat next to her. Since he was a dragon and could fly, the view wasn't as majestic to him as it was for Lyra but looking over the mountain while flying felt different from enjoying the view next to her in a way that confused him. Both made him feel at peace but the latter made his heart beat irregularly.

"This is the place I fell in love with dragons. I was exploring the mountain and I came upon this waterfall. I wanted to see if there was any pretty rocks in the water but when I was looking, I fell in. I thought I was going to die when I went over the edge but then this blue dragon saved. I'll never forget flying and how those scales felt like gems."

"My sister always travels using bodies of water since her scales blend into the water bed easily. If she wasn't there that day, we wouldn't be speaking here now." Silver knew that humans were very fragile and the thought of losing her confused him. It was a simple decision to kill her to free himself from the Blood Bond but know he knew his life would be very different if she died that day.

"Your sister is a wonderful woman and I'm glad that she wants to protect the village like you do." Lyra nodded. "When I returned to the village, I read every book I could to learn about dragons and tried to find you again. My sister found out about me coming to this waterfall and made me promise not to come back here. That's why you need to keep this place our secret. She'll be mad if she found out about this."

"Even if she did find out, I doubt she'll be mad. The reason she didn't allow you to come back was probably because she didn't want you accidentally fall off the waterfall again. She wouldn't know if a dragon would be there to save you again, after all. But now she knows that you have a dragon to protect you so there's no reason for her to worry."

"You're right. When I first went out to search for you, I didn't think that we would be tied together like this. But when I find a way to free you, I hope that you stay by my side." Lyra touched the brooch over her heart. While the silver scale was cold, she thought she could feel Silver's heart through it. Blue seemed to love the village and wanted to protect it so Silver must feel the same.

"You can see the village from here. It looks so small," Silver commented instead of addressing her concern. He still hadn't decided what to do about their Blood Bond. There was no reason to stay with her when his body was cured of the poison. "I lived so close to you but I never knew how much of an impact you had on the mountain. If you guys didn't protect the mountain, I would've been discovered long ago."

"And we'll continue to protect this mountain. I won't let that King get his hand on this and use dragons again." Lyra once again placed a hand over the brooch. He wondered if the scale of a coward was so important to her that she wore it constantly. When he asked her why she wore it, she blushed. "Because it's proof you care. It's the first present you gave me. You didn't know me then but you gave it to me."

"I just thought that my sister's scale was much more important than one of my own. Think of all the spells a human could cast if they had the scale of a powerful dragon. I ran from battle and disgraced the name of dragons. My scale isn't worth that much." Silver told her and was surprised when she reached over and pinched his cheeks. There was a fire in her eyes when she told him.

"I won't let you say that about yourself. This scale is my most prized possession. I don't think you were a coward for leaving that cruel man that used you. In fact, I think that you were brave for being able to do so." Silver was shocked when she said that since most retelling of his story cast his as a coward. "And here we are today, thanks to your actions."

"Most wouldn't think that. Are you sure you're not just bias towards dragons and refuse to find fault with us?" Silver laughed when she pouted her cheeks since she expected him to change his attitude quickly. He took out the wooden dragon he made to soothe her anger. "Here, take this."

"What is it?" She asked as she studied the carving. Silver blushed since he knew that his skills weren't as good as Gold's and it was a blow to his pride. He could only comfort himself by thinking that in the moonlight, it was difficult for to see the detail of the carving. Lyra clapped, as if she knew what he had made. "Is it a lizard?"

"It's a dragon, silly. Lizards don't have wings." He pointed out and her eyes widened. The sun began to rise then and she could see the dragon in more detail. Silver became more self conscious as he watched her play with the dragon. "If you don't want it, I'll take it back."

"Wait, no! I love him. Look, he's even smiling." Lyra laughed as she pointed out the detail to him, as if he wasn't the one that had made it. Looking at her smile, he was glad that he made it for her. "Thank you Silver. I'll make sure I take care of it."

"It's nothing. Think of it as me thanking you for taking me here. It really is calming here." Silver couldn't remember the last time he was able to merely sit and enjoy nature. As the sun was rising, Lyra's head lowered until it rested on his shoulder. She was struggling to keep her eyes open but his warmth was so comforting that she found herself yawning.

"It's okay, you can sleep. I'll take you back to the village safely." He promised her but she was already asleep so she didn't answer him. As he gently moved her into his arms, she leaned her head against him. There was no fear n her body despite how easily a dragon could kill her and he didn't understand how she was able to trust so easily.

* * *

"I know you have questions for me, Yellow, but I can't answer them. I want to know them myself." Red could sense someone watching him and knew that it was Yellow. The other villagers had kept their distance from him and she and Gold were the only ones who approached him. Since he could hear Gold speaking with the villagers, it could only be her.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you but she's not here." Red stood when it wasn't Yellow that answered him. He turned to see a woman standing some distance from him, covering her nose with a napkin. "She wanted to come with me to speak with you but I thought that it would be best for us to speak alone. It has been a long time after all, Red."

"You know me, don't you? Please tell me who you are!" He asked her but when he stepped towards her, she pulled out a knife and pointed it at him. There was nothing but hatred in her eyes and he was reminded of his reaction when he first saw her.

"Don't come any closer to me. This knife might not be able to kill you but I'm satisfied with being able to spill your blood. It's little compared to everything you did to my people." Blue's tone was cold and Red was confused. "I'll tell you about yourself but I don't know who would hate you more when they find out the truth. Yellow, or you."

"Why would Yellow hate me?" Red asked even as something in his stomach dropped at the mention of Yellow hating him. She was the first person he spoke to when he woke without his memory and she had stayed by his side since then. "I don't remember anything about my past but whatever I did to you, I'm sorry. I'll try to make it up to you!"

"How are you going to atone for all the dragons you've killed? You can't exchange your life for theirs, you're already dead." Blue laughed bitterly. "You're dead and hopeless, Immortal Dragon Master."

"I'm dead?" Red felt as if the world had fallen beneath him and he could only stare at the woman, trying to process his words. He knew that he couldn't be hurt or killed but he couldn't have guessed that it was because he was already dead. There was something familiar about her but he didn't know if she was speaking the truth about his past. "How can I be?"

"Alive, you served the king well and killed countless dragons. I barely survived when I fought you but even the mighty fall eventually. I thought your death would be the end of my people's suffering but then the King revived you with dragon blood. Do you know how many had to die to bring you back to life?" Blue screamed.

"I'm sorry," was all he could say.

"Why did you choose now to come back? You disappeared right after you were revived so I thought that would be the end of it but here you are. I don't care how strong you are, if you hurt my friends or this village, I will kill you." Red knew that her words were not mere threats, but a promise. The genuine anger in her words told him that she spoke the truth about his past.

Red looked down at his hands and for the first time, he thought he could see the blood stain of a thousand battles on them. The memories were so distant and vague, he felt like an outsider in his own body. Was he truly a murderer of dragons? If he did follow the King, why was he sent to the village? No matter what he told her, he couldn't envision himself following a cruel king or killing a dragon.

"Did you tell Yellow this?" Red asked and was surprised when she shook her head. He was glad since he couldn't imagine her forgiving him for all the sins he committed. Even if there was a chance she was willing to forgive him, he couldn't remember why he killed so many dragons to justify it. "I know you must hate who I was but please let me show you that I'm not a bad person."

"The moment you get your memories back, you'll only fulfill your mission and I won't let you destroy this village. The only reason I haven't killed you yet is because I know it's pointless. You're immortal and still too strong for any living person to defeat. So I can either find a way to immobilize you or you can leave this village on your own."

"You're giving me the chance to go free?" Red was confused with her offer since the hatred in her eyes told him that she was reluctant to do so. Any logical person would take the chance to run with their life but he couldn't help but remember how Gold told him they needed to find the dragon hidden in the village to accomplish their goal.

Something in his gut told him that he needed to find the dragon even though he still didn't fully understand why. "I can't leave when I still don't have my memories. I'm really sorry that we fought on opposite sides in the past but now I don't want to fight you. Something is coming for this village and I won't let anything happen to it while Yellow is here. I promised to protect her."

"The only thing you'll do is hurt her if you stay here!" Blue snapped. She wouldn't put her friend in danger and knew that she would want to help Red regain his memories. But she had seen Red fight and knew how dangerous he could be. Her hands tightened into fists. "She told me that she healed you so repay her by not putting her in danger."

"I can protect myself and I don't believe we have to be worried about Red's past." They both turned to see Yellow come between them. She smiled wearily at Blue and Red felt rejected when she didn't give him a glance. Even if she glared at him, he wanted to know what she thought of him now. It was obvious that she heard about his past.

"I've travelled with him and he was kind to me. He protected me and even when we encountered someone, he only fought when they attack us. The wounds I healed were from a dragon and I know that it couldn't be you that attack him so there's another dragon. That memory is important if there are other dragons alive. We need to protect them."

"Protect dragons?" Red found himself saying by reflex. The glare they both sent him made him and he stepped back. "I'm sorry. I know that you have no reason to trust me but I don't want to hurt you. I just want to know the truth about myself. I don't know what my connection to the king or dragons but I promise to protect you and I will."

"We'll keep an eye on him and I have a way to restrain him if he turns on us when he regains his memories." Yellow told Blue and she held up her arrow. While she was a healer and didn't like fighting, she was skilled with several magic spells. She hated to think that she would have to use them again Red but she knew that she wouldn't lie about such past.

Did the Red she travelled with even exist and will it disappear when he remembered his past fully?

* * *

"I'm sorry but this will hurt." Yellow warned as she pulled her knife out of the fire. He took a deep breath steeled himself against the pain. Blue watched and fretted over her brother even though she trusted Yellow. "You'll need to endure the burning while I drain the poison from your body."

"I've been through worst so don't worry about me." Silver told her and held out his arm to her. His voice was muffled by a rag so he wouldn't bite off his tongue. Because he was a dragon, Yellow had to be more forceful when drawing out the poison. She punctured his arm and let his blood drip into a bowl. Chanting a spell, she redirected the impurity in his blood to flow out of his body.

Silver felt as if someone was twisting his stomach and forcing the life from his body. He struggled to stay conscious but he barely felt the pain since his mind was distracted. He still hadn't decided what he would do with Lyra and he doubted he could decide in time it took for Yellow to cure him. When he closed his eyes against the pain, he could see her smile.

* * *

"Silver!" Lyra sat up quickly in her bed. Her body felt hot and she instinctively knew that Silver was in terrible pain. The Blood Bond spurred her into action and she jumped out of bed to find him. She threw on her cape and secured it with the brooch with his dragon scale.

At first she ran to the stable he usually stayed in but when she threw open the door, she found it empty. The pain around her heart hadn't subdued and she concentrated on the Blood Bond they shared. While she didn't fully understand it, she knew that she could use it to find him. She tightened her hand around the brooch and her feet began to move by themselves.

As she ran to him, she could only think that she had to save him. Lyra could only imagine the worst scenarios. What if someone had captured him and dragged him away from the village? The further apart they were, the weaker he was so she hoped he was safe until she reached him. She knew that she was close since she could feel his pain the more she ran.

The pain took her breath away but still she pushed her body harder. She trusted that once she reached him, he would have the strength to save both of them. Lyra doubled her efforts when she heard Silver scream. Stopping to catch her breath, she looked up to see Silver, Blue and Yellow sitting in a circle. She didn't understand why they were so far from the village or why Yellow was holding a knife to his arm.

"The poison has almost left your body so please endure it for a little more." Yellow told him with a gentle voice. Poison? Lyra didn't understand their conversation until she thought of the arrows that he protected her from when they first met. Surely, Silver would've told him if he was poisoned. He had no reason to lie to her after everything they've been through.

"That's the last of it." Yellow pulled away the knife and began to heal the wound. Blue held out a bowl of food to him so he could eat since he lost a fair amount of blood. With little energy left, Silver felt his body slump and Lyra's body mirrored his as she sank to her knees. The blood in the bowl was tainted black and she knew that he had in fact been poisoned.

Why did he hide it from her and felt the need to cure it without her knowing? Unfortunately, as she listened to them, they told her their reason.

"Thank God, you're okay now. Now we don't need to worry about it holding you back." Blue hugged her brother and he nodded in agreement. While he didn't know if he still wanted to stay in the Blood Bond, he was glad to be rid of the poison. "Lyra might not have known but that Blood Bond saved your life. The poison would've killed you otherwise."

"But now that I've gotten rid of the poison, what will you do?" Yellow asked. "The only reason you decided to stay with that woman and the village was to survive long enough for me to come and cure you. The village speaks highly of you, especially that woman, so they obviously trust you."

Silver looked down at his feet and Lyra could feel his guilt. He didn't answer Yellow's question but Blue did. "At first we thought that it would be simple. We were only going to help her until we had no reason to do so. At first we thought that we could kill her to free Silver from the Blood Bond but it has gotten more complicated. The decision is still Silver's. So what will you do?"

Silver didn't answer her and Lyra bit her tongue. Her heart felt heavy and she didn't know if it was her own emotions or Silver's. He had never intended to protect her village and she felt foolish. She thought that she was running to his rescue only to discover that he intended to kill her. Lyra bit her tongue and stormed out of her hiding place.

They were shocked when she stopped in front of him. No one moved, waiting to see what Lyra would do. The fire and tears in her eyes told him that she had heard them. Before he could say her name, she raised her hand and slapped. Still no one moved in reaction, too shocked that she had struck a dragon. "Lyra…"

"Don't say my name!" Lyra yelled at him. "How dare you pretend to be my friend like that? If you never wanted to be my partner, then you should've told me and I would've let you be. But you used me and intended to throw me away! This is the only command I'll give you as your Dragon Master: Stay away from me and my village. I don't want to see you ever again."

Lyra turned on her heel and ran from him. He started to follow her but he was still too weak to run so he could only call her name. Blue helped him stand but she had run too far away from them to follow. The whirlwind of emotions in his heart was a mix of his and Lyra's. Regret and betrayal. Sadness and anger. But the emotion they both felt was a deep rejection.

"Lyra!" She heard him call her even when she was too far to hear his voice. Lyra wished that she had never found him or made a Blood Bond with him. Tears clouded her visions so she ran blindly through the mountain. She didn't know where she was going, only that she wanted to be alone to sort her feelings.

Unfortunately, Lyra ran blindly into the path of a horse. It knocked her aside but she was able to roll away from its hooves. As she pushed herself to her feet, she saw a hand reach out to her. She thought that it was going to help her but it roughly grabbed her brooch and pulled her off the ground.

"What are you doing with a dragon scale?" The cold sneer of the rider made Lyra's heart stop.

* * *

 **I really wanted to finish this chapter before I work on all the mep parts I put off.**


	11. Changing Hearts

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or any of the characters**

* * *

"Don't take it! I won't let you!" Lyra held onto her brooch with dear life. Even if the scale was Silver's, the brooch was a gift from her sister. She couldn't let the man take it. Even if that wasn't the case, she knew that the man would use it to hurt her village. She refused to let anything happen to her sister and the other villagers. "You'll have to kill me first!"

"That can be arranged." The man released her and she fell backwards into the dirt. Before she could run away, the knight stabbed his sword into the ground inches from her face. Fear froze Lyra in place. Desperately, she wanted to run but there didn't seem to be much she could no matter if she ran or coward. Once again he raised his sword.

"Stop." Another sword saved her and both Lyra and the knight was surprised. The regal man might have saved her but there was no warmth in his eyes as he did so. She clutched her brooch, waiting to see what he would do next. "The woman is more use to us alive than dead. You can help me replace all the dragon part you and you destroyed when you broke into my castle."

"What?" Lyra was confused until she remembered that Blue and Green had left suddenly. They came back with so many books that a common merchant wouldn't have. Could they have gone to the man's castle? She held her brooch closer to her and glares up at him. "I'll never help you! What do you even want with dragons?"

"Their power." Was his answer and she glared up at him. No matter how much she was angry at Silver, she knew that people like him was what made Silver the way he was. "My great grandfather told me the tale of the Last Dragon and I know that your people are hiding him in this mountain. He is the last key I need to resurrect an army of dragons."

"There is no last dragon. It's just a myth. We respect dragons for the majestic creatures they were and honour their memory by protecting their resting place." Lyra lied solemnly. Dragons were very real but they wouldn't protect her village. She hated herself for being so foolish and letting her vision of dragons blind her to the person Silver really was.

But no matter how much she was angry at Silver at the moment, she needed to focus on protecting her village. If not her, who else would? When she first went out searching for the last dragon, her goal was to protect her village and that wouldn't change. "You can search the Golden Mountain for ages but you'll never find the village or a trace of the dragons."

She met the King's glare with her own. His gaze was still on brooch and she purposely moved it to the left. Her right hand clutched her whip and she lashed out with it. Her whip struck his face but she didn't wait to see the damage she done. Lyra ran to steal one of their horses so she could escape. The other knights were too shock to follow her until she mounted one of the horses.

"Go!" Lyra commanded as she kicked the horse into a gallop. She could hear the others try to follow her so she used her whip to break overhead branches. The branches fell onto their horses, causing them to panic and it bought her enough time to distance herself from them. Looking forward, she was determined to warn the village that the King was close to finding them.

"That bitch!" The King pressed his hand against the cut Lyra made. He glared at the trail of broken branches she left. He stood and threw his order to the knights. "Track her down. No doubt, she's going to her village. She'll lead us to them. And when we find that village, I'll give her a scar to match the one she's given me. Then I'll find that dragon they're hiding."

* * *

Gold strummed his harp as he stared up at the moon. The night was silent but he enjoyed the time it allowed him to think. A hawk was resting on the branch next to him, waiting for him to hand it a report. Once he did, it would fly back to the King with his location. But until then, it would stay next to him faithfully. _So what should I do?_

"Gold!" He jumped when he heard his name called. Gold looked down and saw Crystal running towards. Her face was pale so he quickly jumped down from the branch. "Please tell me you saw where Lyra went! She wasn't in bed when I went to check on her and no one else has seen her either. You always play through the night so you must've seen something!"

"Calm down, Crys. I didn't see anything but I'll help you look for her. If anyone knows where she is, it'll be Silver. He follows her like a guard dog." Gold wanted to lessen her worry but she began to chew her lip when she told him that Silver was missing as well. "I don't think we really need to worry. Silver'll protect her and I'm sure they're just on a little date."

"Will you be serious? I don't know how but I just feel like she's in danger. She would've told me if she's going to go out in the middle of the night and stay out this late. If you're not going to help me, I'll find her myself!" Crystal began to turn away but Gold grabbed her hand. He knew that the knights were searching the village and it wasn't safe for her to go out alone.

"What are you two screaming about?" Green approached them, looking slightly annoyed. He had been patrolling when he heard them. It didn't take him long to recognize the worry on Crystal's face. When she explained that Lyra and Silver were missing, he went to search for Blue. To his surprise, he couldn't find her either. "Where could've those three go?"

"Do you think they went into the forest? But why would they?" Crystal questioned and Gold looked up at the moon, trying to find an answer. He took Crystal hand and promised. "I'm going to make everything right. I'll help you. I'm a good tracker and you know her well so we'll find her. Green, you stay here in case they come back."

Gold was already running into the forest, dragging Crystal behind him, so Green couldn't argue. It wasn't in his personality to wait and quickly thought of plan.

"You didn't hear your sister leave?" Gold asked Crystal as he jumped onto a branch so he could study the forest. It was still dark but he could see hints of someone walking into the forest. The ground was dry so he couldn't rely on footprints but the grass was flattened unnaturally. There were no claw marks so he knew they weren't made by an animal. "Is there anything in this direction?"

"There's nothing much so I don't know if this is the path she would've taken." Crystal was skeptical but Gold looked more confident as he stood to face her. He had been able to follow her to the village even though she barely left a trace of herself but he couldn't tell her that.

Gold whistled loudly and after a moment, his horse returned to him. Crystal recognized it since he had been riding it the day he saved her. She wanted to ask him more questions about himself but he had already mounted the horse. He reached over and waved one of Lyra's slippers in front of the horse. "Horses' sense of smell isn't as good as dogs but they're better than ours."

"I thought you said you lost this horse." Crystal raised a brow at him but she still took the hand he held out to her. He effortlessly pulled her onto the horse and she wrapped her arms around his waist. The horse didn't trot as fast as she would like but she knew that it couldn't be helped since the horse wasn't familiar with Lyra's scent. "Gold, I shouldn't be asking you this but why are you helping me?"

"Because you asked me to." Gold answered her and he knew that she had her reservation against him. He couldn't blame her for not trusting him. If he hadn't saved her, she wouldn't have questioned his claim of being a mere bard. Usually he wouldn't have done so and risk them finding his true identity but he had to save her when Lyra asked him to help.

"I thought this village would be cold but watching you and your sister reminded me of my own village. The entire reason I came to this village is to make sure that no other family turns out like mine. So I'll do everything I can to accomplish that." Even if he had to work with a king he didn't agree with. Hopefully, he would be able to help Crystal without involving her with his dragon hunt.

 _Who are you really?_ Crystal couldn't ask him silently. She knew that she couldn't ask him that directly since she desperately wanted to believe that he wanted to help her. They both knew that they would have to eventually face the questions between them. "I'll protect you, Crys."

* * *

"Let me go! I need to go to her." Silver tried to push off Blue's hand. She tried to stop him from running and it was a simple task because he was still weak. The emotions the Blood Bond forced upon him were changing rapidly and he didn't know what came of Lyra. Was she hurt? Did she go directly back to the village? "What if something happens to her?"

"You're not going to be any help to anyone with the condition you're in now!" Yellow tried to reason with him. While he hesitated to answer when she asked him what he intended to do with Lyra, she knew that he didn't want to kill her. What he did feel for her could only be addressed after he was strong enough to stand on his own. "You lost a lot of blood."

"I just need to talk to her before…" Silver trailed off.

"Before what?" Blue asked in a hard voice, knowing that being indecisive wouldn't help Silver. "What do you want? Do you want to stay with her or do you want to return to the church? You have enough will to fight the Blood Bond so you won't be compelled to return to her even if she demands it. It'll be difficult to live apart from your master but not impossible so what do you want?"

"… I don't know what the hell I want!" Silver yelled and slammed his fist against the ground. He hated the entire concept of Blood Bond but he couldn't find himself resenting her for forcing it upon him. He didn't want to see her hurt and it was obvious that she became important to him.

"I just want her by my side until I know what I want." Silver stood straighter with a goal in mind.

"Then I'll find her and bring her back so we can explain everything to her. Just stay here with Yellow and heal." Blue instructed with a bright smile. She had always wanted her brother to find someone he could trust and her hope that person could be Lyra was flourishing. "I should be able to catch up with her before she returns to the village. What direction is she in, Silver?"

For once, Silver allowed the blood Bond to take over his mind and heart. He tried to concentrate on finding her but a cold chill invaded his heart. Cold fear made his heart race and he knew that it was Lyra's emotions. "She's running from something. She's afraid. She needs me!"

Silver renewed his effort to run to Lyra but Yellow quickly stopped him. He knew that he couldn't do anything to help her and hated feeling powerless. The only thing he could do was tell Blue her location and hope that whatever Lyra was afraid of wouldn't catch her. "Please save her for me, Blue. And when you find please tell her that… tell her that I'm sorry."

"I'll bring her back so you can tell her yourself." Blue promised and left.

"While she's going to save Lyra, we need to get you somewhere you can rest. We can't stay out in the open in case some attacks." Yellow lent him her shoulder and supported him. He was weak and she didn't have her arrows so they wouldn't be able to defend themselves effectively. On her journey to the village, they had come across several thieves so she knew that it was dangerous to wait out in the open.

"I'm sorry. I know I must be heavy." Silver apologized and did his best not to put too much of his weight on her. Yellow chuckled and gave him a gentle smile.

"I'm stronger than you think I am so you don't need to worry about me." Yellow told him. Even though she was small, she was able to help him walk. Throughout the years, she had lived independently as a healer. While it was a passive job, one couldn't do it without a certain amount of strength. "We should go back to the village. They'll help you heal."

"They'll want to kill me after they find out that I intended to hurt one of their own. I can't blame them."

"Then regain Lyra's trust. Tell her that you won't hurt her when you see her again. As a healer, I know that trust is important but difficult to gain. You wouldn't let me near you with a knife if you didn't trust me to heal you, would you? If a simple human like I can gain the trust of a dragon like you then there's no reason you can't mend things with Lyra."

"I hope that you're right."

* * *

"Are you okay?" Red and Green saw Silver and Yellow limping into the village and rushed to help them. They took Silver's arm from her and helped him stand. Red had been woken by the search for Lyra. Though he wanted to help search for her, he didn't know if there was anything he could do. Seeing Silver hurt only made him more worried. "What happened?"

"Silver lost a lot of blood and we need to get him into the infirmary to rest." Yellow told them but she knew that she wouldn't be able to explain how he got hurt. She hoped they wouldn't ask any more questions because of her inability to lie. Luckily, Red only nodded and helped them. Silver's brows drew together, wondering why it had to be Red to help them since he smelled of dragon blood.

"Where's Lyra and Blue?" Green asked, knowing that Silver would stray too far from either one of them. Both Silver and Yellow looked conflicted to answer him. Did they have a fight? "Just tell me. Whatever happened between you two, you can work it out later but right now the safety of my villagers is most important to me. Crystal and Gold are already out there looking for them."

"I was stupid and we got into an argument. I couldn't go after her but Blue is looking for her right now." Silver explained and Green didn't know how much of that explanation was true. He knew that Lyra was strong but her slap wouldn't be able to make Silver lose so much blood. But if Blue was with Lyra, he knew that she would protect Lyra.

"At least we know they're together. Is there anything I can do for you, Silver?" Red asked but Silver merely scowled at him. He didn't fully understand the hatred until Silver scowled. The barest flash of his fangs sparked a memory in Red and his feet staggered for a moment. "Yellow and I should be enough to help Silver so you should go look for Lyra, Green."

While Red was an outsider to Green, he could see that there was no ill intent in Red's eyes. So he nodded and stepped away from them. Silver's frown deepened when he was left leaving on Red. He knew that there was nothing he could do to improve his attitude but tried. "I trust him with you then. Make sure to take care of him. He's a part of my village now so he's my responsibility."

"Don't talk about me like I'm some stray you took in." Silver puffed his cheeks but the statement made him happy. Green only patted his shoulder in answer. "Wait, Green. If you're going after Blue and Lyra, they're in the southeast. Blue can take care of herself and Lyra but it'll make me feel better if I know there's someone out there looking out for them."

Silver watched Green run into the forest, wondering if it was the best decision to tell him where Lyra was. If Lyra told Silver their intention, he would never consider them a part of the village again. They would never be able to return to the village that gave them the first sense of family. But in the end, Silver would rather have the knowledge that Lyra was safe than live in the village without her.

"Sit down, Silver." Yellow instructed when they entered the infirmary. While dragons were able to heal faster than humans, she knew that he wouldn't be able to heal as quick without Lyra. Until Lyra returned, she would do everything in her power to help him. "I'll get some herbs and make something that'll help you regain more blood."

She rushed out of her room, leaving Red and Silver alone. As she was about to close the door, she heard Red's voice. Curious, she hid behind the door and looked into the room. Red had his head bowed deeply to Silver. "I'm sorry."

A silence passed between them and it was clear that Silver wasn't going to speak so Red continued. "I didn't realize it until now but you're a dragon, are you not? During the war-"

Despite his weak body, Silver fumbled with an attack. Red didn't defend himself and let himself be knocked back against the wall. "I already know what happened during the war. I lived it. I can smell every dragon you killed."

"I don't remember everything but I'm sorry."

"How the hell do you expect me to believe that? Even if you don't remember the reason you came to this mountain, there can only be one. If you want to hurt my sister or this village, you'll have to kill me." Silver knew that it was a weak threat considering how weak he currently was.

"I don't want to fight anymore." Red knew that he only scratched the surface of his memories but the battles he remembered were enough to turn his stomach. "I came here for a reason but it wasn't to fight. I think… I think I wanted to apologize. It's because of monsters like me that made you go into hiding and cause you not to trust anymore. So I'm sorry and I'll do everything I can to gain your forgiveness."

Silver's hands fell away and he took a step back. The guilt in Red's eyes communicated his feelings better than his words. "Remember this apology when you regain your memory. If you go back on your words, I won't hold back."

"You're not going to do anything to me?" Red asked, shocked. Hell, he knew that he deserved that much for all the blood he spilled.

"What's the point? You're the Immortal Dragon Master so I can't kill you. Anyways, killing you won't be what Lyra would want. She wants me to protect everyone in this village so, until you're a threat, I won't fight you." Silver sat back on the bed. It was too late to regain her trust but maybe if he did as he originally promised, she would smile at him again.

* * *

"Lyra?" Crystal called into the darkened forest but no one replied to her. With every passing moment, she was becoming more afraid. Gold could feel her body become tenser so he rubbed her shoulder. The knot in her shoulder loosened but only slightly. "Where could she be? We've been riding forever but we haven't found her yet. Are you sure your horse can track her?"

"I was able to track a mouse through a snowstorm thanks to this guy." Gold boasted and Crystal rolled her eyes. After imagining it though, she chuckled. It seemed absorb but she could imagine someone as determined as Gold to attempt to do something so silly and succeed.

His horse suddenly became restless and Crystal rubbed its neck to calm it. They didn't know what made it nervous until another horse came barreling past them. "Crystal! I can't stop this thing."

Even when Crystal saw her sister on the horse and called out to her, she didn't stop the horse. It was obvious that she was struggling to steer it. The horse was fast so Gold knew that it was a miracle Lyra was able to hold onto the horse. "Hold on, Crystal! I'll try to get as close to her as I can and you grab its rein."

"Do you know how dangerous that is?" She screamed as Gold kicked his horse into action. If she fell off his horse while trying to catch the horse, she could die.

"Trust me, I won't let you fall." He wrapped his arm around her waist and held her securely against him. "There's no other way to stop that horse and save your sister. It's too dangerous to pull her off the horse and Aibo can't carry all three of us."

Crystal placed her hand over his arm and clung to him as she leaned over the horse. She could feel Gold's arm tighten around her the further she leaned. He expertly maneuvered his horse closer to Lyra so Crystal could reach its reins easier. Finally, Crystal grabbed onto its rein and pulled the horse to a stop. No matter how much they staggered, Gold held Crystal safe in his arms.

"Thank God, it's over." Crystal let out a breath of relief but Gold didn't let her go. His heart was still racing but the heartbeat he focused on was Crystal's. It was beating as fast as his and he wondered if she knew how reassuring it sounded to him. He knew that he would be able to hold her on his horse because the thought of letting her go scared him.

Why?

"Are you okay, Lyra? Where were you?" Crystal had to ask even though Lyra was still trying to collect her composure. "Where did you get that horse?"

For the first time, Gold looked closely at the horse and recognized the crest on its saddle bag. It belonged to the King. He barely heard Lyra's explanation because his mind was racing. The King wasn't supposed to be on the mountain until he sent them a letter with the identity of the dragon. Could Lyra know that he was working with the King?

"We need to release that horse. It belongs to the royal knights and they'll be able to track it to her." Gold interrupted their conversation and dismounted. He helped Lyra off the horse before he sent the horse in the opposite direction of the village. He didn't know how long it would deter the King but hopefully it was long enough for Gold to accomplish his own goal.

As he watched the horse walk away, he could feel Crystal staring at him. He forced a smile onto his face when he turned to them. "I'll help you on, Lyra. As a gentleman, I can't let a lady walk back to the village. You can tell us what happened while we're walking back."

* * *

 **Why does my love for Mangaquestshipping make me write them more than the main ship again XD Every single PokeSpe fanfic I write have that one Mangaquest chapter that I look forward to writing**


	12. Final Choice

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or any of the characters**

* * *

"What were you doing so far from home? Do you know how worried I was? Something could've happened to you and I wouldn't be able to help you. Couldn't you at least take someone with you?" Crystal fired the questions at Lyra as they headed home. Lyra wondered if she should tell Crystal the truth about Silver.

While she knew that she should tell Crystal about his lies, she knew didn't know how to. How could she make Crystal understand without revealing that Silver was a dragon? She couldn't betray him like that, no matter how hurt she felt. Her sister could sense her hesitation and sighed. "I know you. You might be reckless but you're not stupid. So why did you run away?"

"I got in a fight with Silver. I thought he really cared about our village but he never did. He was just waiting until he could leave us. This whole time I tried to make him see how great our village is but it was pointless. I've just been wasting my time with him and I would've been better off trying to find a dragon who won't lie to me."

"So what are you planning to do? If he really doesn't want to protect the village, we can't trust him. I think we should force him to leave the village and return to the mountain but we should discuss this with Green." Crystal said after a moment. Letting Silver leave even though he knew the village's secrets was dangerous but she knew that Lyra wouldn't want to hurt him.

"I know that I'm not a part of your village and my opinion might not mean much but can I just say something?" Gold interrupted. "From what I saw, Silver does care about your village. At the very least, he cares about Lyra. He wouldn't have confronted me like he did. I'm good at reading people and Silver's like an open book to me."

"I've spent more time with him than you have and it turns out that I don't know him at all. How can you say that he actually cares about me? He hated me for something I didn't mean to do. I bet he already ran back into the mountain so neither of us will see him again." Lyra wanted to sound angry and yell but her words were solemn instead.

"I'm a betting man. I say that he's waiting for you in the village so he can apologize for whatever he did to make you upset. I can also guess that he's too hurt to chase after you since he wouldn't let you run into the mountain alone." Gold pointed out and Lyra wanted to believe that he was right but she remembered the hatred in Silver's eyes when he learned about the Blood Bond they shared.

"I'm not going to make a bet out of my village's safety. If he's a threat to our village, we can't let him stay longer than he already has. What if he's a part of the king's army?" Crystal asked and Gold flinched slightly at the question. He knew that it would be best that they suspect Silver to draw attention away from himself but he remembered the loneliness in his eyes.

Silver deserved a family.

"So what did Silver do to make you think that he wants harm to come to you?" Silver asked Lyra, hoping that he could untangle any misunderstanding they could've had.

"I thought he came to the village because he wanted to help protect it but I was wrong." Lyra tried to find a way to explain without revealing that Silver was a dragon. "He was poisoned and the cure could only be found in the village. Tonight, Yellow healed him and now he has no reason to stay. I saw him and he didn't say a word when I asked him if he still plans on leaving us. He said nothing…"

Crystal could hear that she was hiding something from them by the way he trailed off. Gold repeated her story in his mind as well. Silver didn't seem to be poisoned and fought in battled to defend the village. They both had their questions but it became clear that Lyra wouldn't answer them further. "I don't want to talk about him anymore."

"Then how about I play us a song? Talking about traitors and poison won't do our hearts any good. Does your village have any songs you really like? You can hum it and I'll try to recreate it on my lute." Gold suggested and took out his lute. He strummed a few cords but he could see that his song wouldn't help lighten the heavy mood around them. "What would you like to hear?"

"I would like to hear Momma's lullaby." Lyra answered even though she knew it made her seem childish. But after discovering Silver's lies, she wanted something familiar and comforting. Gold couldn't possibly know it so it was a silly request. "Maybe we shouldn't be playing any songs when the king's guard can hear us. We should just focus on getting back to the village before Silver does."

Crystal looked back to Lyra and knew from her downcast eyes that she needed something to comfort her. After a considering everything, she decided that her sister was more important than the danger. Softly, she hummed the lullaby their mother would always sing to them. Even if the king attacked them, she was certain that she would be able to protect Lyra.

Gold listened to her hum the lullaby a couple times before he mimicked its melody with his lute. Lyra closed her eyes and leaned her head against the horse's mane as she listened to her sister sing along with Gold's lute. Soon, she found herself sleeping and Crystal made sure she wouldn't slip off the horse. Gold smiled up at them, "You two must be close."

"We're sisters," Crystal told him simple. "And when our mother died, we only had each other. Even though the village was there for us, it was still hard. I started training before my sister did because she wanted to focus on becoming a scholar. I wanted to protect her so she could become the village's scholar without ever having to ever fight."

"No wonder you're such a strong woman." Gold grinned up at her and she blushed. "Do you really think that Silver would betray Lyra? I know that my world doesn't mean much but I want to defend him. He's actually very similar to you, I think. You two are really strong and want to protect someone but you can try to trust people more."

"I trust them as much as it's safe to do so. I might not travel far from my village but I've seen enough to know that there are greedy people who only see my village as an opportunity to get rich. There's a reason my village has never stopped fighting."

"I've travelled much further than you and I think that you'll find that there's more good than bad. Once this is all over, and if you want, I'll take you to see those wonderful things." Gold offered and she didn't know if she should accept when the village needed her.

"There's this beautiful field of flowers not too far from here that you might like. A bunch of orphans planted them, hoping that someone who would adopt them will come to see the flowers. I know that I can't take a kid with me on my travels but maybe they'll be happy in your village. Just look at how happy Emerald is. You'll be a great mother, one day."

"I never really thought that far ahead," Crystal admitted. Everyone in her village lived with the knowledge that they could die the following day. She didn't know if she would be a good mother but she was determined to do everything she could to protect her sister. "We need to focus on tomorrow how now and I'm not going to let Silver hurt my sister."

"And he won't. I'm sure that this is some misunderstanding." Gold said confidently. "I can see in his eyes that he's an honest person."

* * *

"There you are Blue!" Green called out to her when he spotted her in the distance. She turned sharply and her eyes flashed as she did so. He couldn't fault her for being cautious but she visible relaxed when she saw that it was him. He was disappointed that Lyra wasn't with her. "Do you sense Lyra anywhere?"

Green knew from Blue's sigh that she was struggling to find Lyra. Green asked Blue as she followed an invisible trail. She knew that Silver would be able to track her easier but she also knew that he was in no condition to do so. The only thing she could do now was track Lyra's scent.

He wanted to find Lyra but knew that he couldn't push Blue if she was tired. Silver looked like he was on the edge of death when they returned to the village so he could only guess what they went through. He studied her and his brows knotted when he noticed that she didn't appear to be hurt like Silver was.

"I never got to ask what happened to you four. How did you get separated from Lyra?" Green asked and she rushed to think of an explanation. He knew Lyra far longer than she did so she had to be careful to not make him suspicious. "I know Lyra can be reckless but I don't think she would get separated from you easily. Do you know who attacked you? Silver was in pretty bad shape."

"We can't waste time with those questions when Lyra's in danger. I need to focus on tracking her." Blue cut him off as she tried to think of a lie to explain everything. While he was kind to her, she knew that he cared more deeply for his villagers. If he knew that they were originally planning to kill Lyra, he would hate her and never let her into his village again.

"Okay. If Lyra hasn't returned to the village and ran into the forest, there's one place she might be. I'm just worried that she's hurt." Green decided to relent to her demands because it was more important to find Lyra safe. Once they, he would ask her what happened. "I also need to know how many people attacked you so I know what we're up against."

"I already took care of them so you don't need to worry about that. Even if we do run into any knights, I can easily defeat them." Blue brushed off his worry and he was beginning to become more frustrated.

"Blue, we can't work together if you keep hiding things from me and evading my questions." Green had been a leader most of his life so it was difficult to follow someone blindly. He grabbed her arm and turned her to face him. "If there's a threat to my village, I want to know about it."

"Just trust me when I say you don't have to worry about it." Blue pulled her arm out of Green's grip. She knew that it was unfair to ask him to do so because he was right to be worried. Not of knights, but her. He had let her and Silver into his village and made her feel welcomed. Unlike her previous masters, he did so without expecting anything in return.

"Saying that won't make me worry less. I trust Lyra to take care of herself but I'm still going to worry about her. I'm sure you understand how I feel. He's you brother and you trust him but you still worry about him. Now tell me what happened." Green demanded and he knew that she wouldn't answer him because of the way she chewed her lower lip.

"Fine, I'll just ask Lyra what happens when we find her. There's a waterfall that Lyra would always visit. It's in that direction. Do you sense if she took that path?" Green asked and pointed to waterfall. Blue closed her eyes and tried to focus on Lyra's scent. Unfortunately, she couldn't find it and sighed. "Where ever she is now, I can't find her. But I don't think a human could run so far that I can't find her."

"Then she must've been taken." Green rubbed his temple. "The only explanation is that someone with a horse took her and she's too far for us to track on foot. Let's go back to the village. We'll have an easier time finding her with more people and a plan. If you're hurt, you should have Yellow heal you as well."

Green already began to walk away from her and she stared into the forest. If she followed him, she would be forced to explain the situation before she was ready. Without thinking, she grabbed his sleeve. "We can't wait to save Lyra! If that knight really took her when we got separated, there must be more of them. I know a way we can find them on this mountain easier."

From the way her eyes shifted, surveying the area around her, he knew that she intended to transform. It would be easier to find the knight's camp while flying so he nodded. She sprouted dragon wings and flew into the sky. Her wings never failed to amaze him. Her ocean blue scales glowed against the dark sky and he could understand the mystery that attracted Lyra to them.

Blue scanned the forest top for any sign of Lyra. Of course, she knew that she wouldn't be able to find Lyra because it was too dark but she had to stall Green from discovering the truth. A trail of smoke caught her eyes and her eyes narrowed. The fire was small and looked contained so it could only be made by a human.

"Blue!" She heard Green call her name right before she heard the buzzing of an arrow. Even though she tried to evade it, the arrow grazed her wings. Her wings made her an easy target for an archer so she retracted them so he couldn't see her as easily. She staggered for a moment but tried to keep herself calm. Branches slapped her as she tried to grab one.

Green ran to save her. She was still struggling when he caught her and he didn't understand why she was still panicking. So he held her tighter against his chest and whispered against her temple. "It's okay, Blue. You're safe now."

"I'm safe." Blue echoed in a small voice and knew that he couldn't possibly know what those words meant. Not only was he offering her a safe place but he did so without an expectation of something in return. She was a dragon and a simple fall wouldn't hurt her but he saved her. "I could've saved myself. I'm a dragon so you don't need to worry about me as much."

"I thought I already told you that I don't work like that. No matter how strong you are, if you're a part of my village, I'm going to protect you. If you were in my position and Silver was falling, you would save him." Green sighed heavily and lowered her to her feet. "We can't stay here if that archer's nearby. If he's one of the men that took Lyra, we need to find their camp."

"I saw smoke while I was flying so that must be where their camp is." Blue told him. Hopefully, they would find Lyra on the way to the camp rather than finding her captured. Though, she also wished that she could to explain their situation to Lyra privately. If Green was there, Lyra would no doubt tell him about what happened by the river.

* * *

"You can't go out in your condition! You'll be leaving a trail of blood but I doubt it'll be that long before you collapse." Yellow chastised Silver as she tried to push him back into the infirmary. He ignored her and made his way towards Lyra.

"I'm fine, Yellow. I told you I'm a dragon and the Blood Bond helps me heal faster." Silver closed his eyes and say Lyra's smile. She might not have known it when she performed the Blood Bond, but she saved his life. "You might know a lot about healing but you'll never understand what this bond means to me. I need to find her."

"And do what to her? No matter if you plan to kill or protect her, you can't do anything in your condition. Blue's looking for her right now and I'm sure she'll bring her back safe. Please just wait for Blue to come back." Yellow whispered so no one would overhead them. "What is your Blood Bond telling you now?"

Silver clutched his chest and tried to focus on Lyra's heart. Even far away, he could sense it. He knew that he would never forget the fear in her heart he felt earlier. It was calm now but still filled with sorrow. "I think she's safe."

"Then Blue must've found her and saved her from whatever she was in danger of. They'll be back soon so you need to let your body heal more. You wouldn't want to greet them looking like a bloody mess, would you?" Yellow tried to coax him. "And if you're really worried, I'll go look for them. You know that I'll never let any harm come to them."

"But I'm supposed to be the one protecting her. The only reason a human would save a dragon like me with a blood is because she wanted protection. It's partly my fault that we're stuck in this situation. If I was stronger, I could've protected her better and we wouldn't be in this situation. I'll save her and then we can decide what to do later." Silver insisted but he could tell that Yellow didn't agree from her frown.

"When I heal people, I don't do it without expecting anything in return. I might not know Lyra long but I like to think that she's like most people who help out of the kindness of their heart. If you decided you want to protect her, tell her that when she comes back."

"What if she doesn't want to listen to me? I wouldn't blame her if she decided not to give me chance. Even if she does listen to me, I don't know what to say. I don't want to stay in this blood bond but I don't want to kill her to free myself either. What do I do?"

"I don't know." Yellow answered honestly. "But I think you might have to decide soon."

Yellow nudged his arm and he turned to see Lyra come out of the forest. She was asleep on the horse but she didn't appear to be hurt. The relief he felt overwhelmed him and he didn't think twice before rushing to her. "Lyra, I'm so glad you're okay."

"You might not want to get to close to a mother bear." Gold rushed to stop Silver when he saw the Crystal's eyes flash. Crystal dismounted the horse and she looked ready to kill someone. Gold wrapped one arm around her waist to retrain her and with his other hand, he held Silver at arm's length. "Let's not fight. Everyone's safe and-"

"You planned to kill my sister!" Crystal screamed loud enough to catch the attention of the other. Silver knew that she was right to be angry but he wished that she wouldn't draw too much attention to them. Even if Lyra forgave him, the village wouldn't. "We let you into our village and this entire time you planned to kill her. Do you know how much trust that took?"

"I'm sorry." Silver bowed his head. Gold could felt Silver's shoulder relax under his hand and he looked completely defeated under Crystal's anger. "But just let me make sure that she's not hurt."

"You honestly think that I would let you anywhere near Lyra? She didn't tell me everything but I know enough to know that I can't let you touch her. I don't care how strong you are, you hurt my sister and I won't let you-"

"That's enough Crystal." Crystal and Silver looked back to see Lyra struggling to slide off the horse. Silver moved quicker than either of them and appeared beside her. While his hands were gentle when he helped her down, they felt cold to her. He could see the cold rejection in her eyes as she backed away from him until she was blocked by the horse.

Crystal tried to run between them but Gold grabbed her waist to stop her. "I understand you want to protect her but she needs to do this herself. If I feel like she's in danger, I'll let you go. Just watch over her for now."

"The poison is gone so you don't need to be close to me. Go back to hiding in your mountain." Lyra's voice was calmer than she thought it would be. "If you can resist the Blood Bond enough to kill your previous master, then you can resist its call when I'm in trouble. You don't need to call me your Dragon Master because I'll never call on you again. Go and never come back."

"You want me to go back into the mountain and return to being the dragon I was?" He whispered. She nodded and he sighed. Looking into her eyes, he made his decision. "Alright."

"Once Blue comes back, I'll tell her that you left and-" Lyra wasn't able to finish before Silver threw her onto his shoulder. She was too shock to react before Silver ran into the forest. The wind rushed around them as he ran into the mountain.

"Damnit!" Gold swore and released Crystal so she could run after them. He never thought that Silver would run instead of facing the issue. He scanned the village and debated if he should help Crystal chase after Silver. Currently, Green was gone and now Crystal was as well. If the King were to attack now, the village would be defenseless.

"I'm going after them so keep everyone safe, Red!"

* * *

"Put me down Silver!" Lyra screamed and slammed her fists down on his back. He didn't stop until they reached the waterfall she showed him. Even though he knew he risked her running from him, he put her down. At least her eyes showed something besides disdain for him as she looked up at him confusion. "Why did you do that?"

"You said you wanted me to be like the dragon I was before so I did what any dragon would do. Dragons take and hoard what they like. We're as selfish as much as we are cowards. I want to protect you but I can't do that if you and everyone else don't trust me anymore."

"You want to protect me?" Lyra tried to read his flustered expression but he turned away from her. He scratched his cheek and didn't answer her immediately. "Do you want to protect me because of the Blood Bond or because this is some trick so you can kill me?"

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you would think that of me," Silver said and he sounded a little lonely to her. "Don't you think that, if I really wanted to kill, I would've done so already? I could've thrown you over the waterfall but I won't! I still don't know what to do but please don't leave me. I never had a dragon master like you before and I don't want to lose you."

Silver hugged her and held onto her desperately, as if he worried that she would disappear. Lyra didn't know what his actions meant but she could only react by wrapping her arms around him in return. He buried his face into her shoulder and she softly stroked his hair.

* * *

 **I know I haven't updated in a long time but honestly… I had this finished for a while but I was so busy I didn't have time to upload it.**


	13. Trust

**Disclaimer: I do not own PokeSpe or any of the characters**

* * *

Silver looked down at Lyra who was looking up at him with wide eyes. He felt himself blush under her stare and didn't know if he what he should do next. He felt so embarrassed by his own words. _I don't want to lose you_. They sounded so much like a confession. Not even Silver knew if he meant the words as one because he couldn't understand his own feelings.

The only thing he knew for certain was that he wanted to protect her because she had become important to him. He thought he was smarter than to let a dragon master control him but here he was before her with the need to protect her. But those feelings didn't come from the Blood Bond and he wanted to find the truth to those feelings.

Lyra finally broke away from his gaze with a blush. While he told her that he wanted to protect her, she hadn't answered him. He didn't know if she would allow him to do so. He originally had no intention of keeping their Blood Bond. Even if he had his hesitation at times, he still had the intention to kill her. He wouldn't blame her for not trusting him.

"Will you let me be your dragon again?" He asked hesitantly. Silver took her hand and dropped to his knees. He could still remember the short ritual and its steps. Even though they already had a Blood Bond, cementing it was the only way he could think of proving to her that he wanted to honour it. "I'll protect your village and do whatever you want. Don't send me back alone."

"How many times have I told you that I don't want you to be my dragon?" Lyra slipped her hand from his. Silver felt the rejection run through his body. He should've felt relief or happiness that she wasn't going to force him to stay in their Blood Bond but he felt empty. Lyra cupped his face in her hands and she knelt in front of him so that they were eye leveled.

"I told you, I want us to be partners. I understand that you don't like what the Blood Bond represent so I want something else that makes you happier. You don't have to do anything that doesn't make you happy. So, protect my village if you want to, not because some Blood Bond compels you to." Lyra told him and her eyes never wavered from his. "Do you want to go home with me?"

"Home?" Silver repeated and looked down at his hands. He could honestly say that he never had a place he could call home. His previous master's castle was a prison and the dragon church was more of a shelter. He knew that she was referring to the village but could he consider it home? Did he deserve to call it his home when he had no intention of staying when he first arrived?

"I don't want to hear you think those things anymore, Silver." Lyra said and he realized that she must've sensed the doubt he felt through their Blood Bond. In truth, she knew from his expression and hesitation. Silver was a mystery to her and she didn't know what to expect from her. He was planning to kill her then he said he wanted to protect her.

If it wasn't for the Blood Bond, she wouldn't have been able to know if he truly wanted to protect her or not. She could feel the confusion in his heart and, despite feeling betrayed earlier, she wanted to help him. From everything he told her about his previous master, she couldn't blame him for how he reacted to having a Blood Bond forced on him.

"I believe you when you said you want to believe me." Lyra touched the brooch with his scale. It was pinned over her heart and she thought she could feel his through it. She stepped away from him and looked at the horizon beyond the waterfall. "I believe in you even if you can't."

"What are you doing, Lyra?" Silver sharply rose to his feet when he realized that she was walking dangerously close to the edge of the waterfall. "Get back here before you fall.

"This is where I met a dragon for the first time." Lyra reminisced instead of answering him. She sat on the ground and looked over her shoulder at him. She gave him a hopeful look and he knew that she wanted him to sit next to her. But the ground didn't look stable and he didn't want to add anymore weight to it than there already was.

"I already told you how a dragon saved me when I was young. That dragon had no reason to save me but did. You have less reason to want to protect me or my village but you still want to. You'll have to prove that to my village to regain their trust. But you won't have to do it alone. I'll help you. So, lets go back to the village together." Lyra stood to face him again.

"Lyra, stop!" Silver screamed when he saw her feet step on a loose rock. Too late, it crumbled beneath her feet and she began to fall backwards. He raced forward and tried to catch her outstretched hand but he barely felt her touch before it was gone. Her scream echoed in his mind and spurred him into action.

Silver jumped off the cliff and caught her hand again. He pulled her into the safety of his arms and tried to grab the cliff to stop their fall. He swore when he couldn't find a holding and he looked down at Lyra's large eyes. The fierce need to protect her bubbled in him and he pressed her face to his shoulder so she wouldn't see him transform.

Lyra felt the air rush around them but Silver wouldn't let her look up from his shoulder. Beneath her hand, she felt Silver's body began to change as scales began to cover his body. His wings burst out of his back and he quickly tried to slow their before they crashed into the sky. He knew that it was a risk to transform fully but he couldn't save Lyra with only the magic in his wings.

The world seemed to turn and Lyra realized that she couldn't feel Silver's arm around her anymore. She looked up and realized that she was sitting in a dragon's claw. Silver's. Lyra struggled to keep her balance as she stood and looked up at the silver dragon. He exerted strength but was also breathtakingly beautiful. The wind rushed around her but she tried to call out to him.

"Silver! Thank you." She said and she wondered if he heard her. "I knew I could trust you to save me."

"Maybe you're right." Silver began to return to his human form when they were closer to the ground. He kept his arm around her waist to keep her from falling. They landed gracefully on the ground but Lyra didn't move away from him. She was still in awe by their short flight. When the dragon saved her, it was a blur but flying with Silver felt magical.

Lyra regained her composure and took both of his hands in her. She pulled him forward and he followed her. "Let's go back home and face everyone together.

* * *

"Crystal, wait!" Gold ran after her. She only stopped to survey the trail and make certain that she was following the path Silver and her sister took. She was determined to find Lyra before Silver hurt her more than he already did. He might not have hurt her physically but he abused Lyra's trust. He took advantage of the village's trust, something not easily given.

Gold stopped her by placing a hand on her arm. He didn't know what was going through Silver's mind but his gut told him that Silver wouldn't hurt Lyra. He went after him for that reason but he doubted Crystal had the same intention as him. In fact, he was certain that Crystal didn't want anything more than to fight him for even thinking of hurting Lyra.

Suddenly, a powerful wind shook the forest around them and Gold tried to protect Crystal from it. Once the wind stopped, Gold looked up and saw a streak of silver fly through the sky. At first, he couldn't believe his eyes so he quickly climbed a tree to see it better. A dragon.

"Was that a dragon?" Crystal asked him but he couldn't bring himself to respond as he stared after the silver dragon. The dragon that attacked his village was red but that didn't change the anger boiling in Gold's chest at the sight of it. He jumped down and started to go after the dragon, momentarily forgetting his goal to find Silver.

"Where are you going, Gold? We need to find Lyra!" Crystal reminded him.

"But that dragon can—" Gold stopped himself. He couldn't tell her about the dragon that attacked his village or that finding a dragon was the reason he came to the village. If he brought the dragon to the king, he wouldn't attack the village for it. "I need to go after that dragon. Just trust me."

"Our village has been defending this mountain for centuries to protect the dragon's legacy." Crystal stopped him but the determination in his eyes told her that there was little she could do to stop him. She had rarely seen him serious and wondered why he was so determined to face the dragon.

"I'm not going to kill it." He told her.

"Do you think I'm honestly going to believe you when you say that?" Crystal demanded. "Give me a better explanation. I can't let you go after a dragon."

"I'm not going to fight you, Crystal. I don't want to but I need to go after that dragon before it's too late. I'm trying to protect your village!" Gold told her and she looked down at the ground. She took out a flare from her bag and handed it to him.

"Make sure you don't do something stupid when you face that dragon and hurt yourself. If you're in trouble, use this flare and someone from the village will come to save you. Now I'm going to turn around and go after Silver. Whatever you do when I turn around will be your business." Crystal turned around and she expected to hear Gold leave.

Instead, Gold's arms came around her and he took her hand. He placed a horn in her hands and she could feel his breath on her ear. "Same to you. If you're in danger, use this and I'll come save you."

"I don't need you to save me." Crystal didn't turn to face him but placed the horn into her bag. She heard Gold leave and she wondered what he was planning. He said that he needed to go after the dragon to protect the village and she wished she knew what he meant by the words. But she forced herself not to dwell on the topic and went forward to find Silver and Lyra.

Gold climbed the trees and looked for any trace of the dragon. He couldn't see it flying in the sky but from the broken tree tops, he knew that it landed not too far from. His tracking skills had never failed him before so he followed its direction. He looked down at the lyre on his hip and placed a hand over it. A human couldn't hope to kill a dragon but his song was the only hope he had to immobilize it.

He ran through the trees, using the tree branches to keep him at a height high enough for him to see the broken tree tops. Gold knew that he was close to the dragon but he was surprised couldn't see any sign of it. How could a creature as large as a dragon hide so well?

Despite his effort, the dragon's trail stopped. But he found a pair of footprints in the dirt and followed it. If it was the King and his men, he could lead them away from the village.

Gold had no loyalty to the King and only agreed to help him for the opportunity to kill a dragon. But he thought of Crystal and everyone else in the village. They didn't deserve to have their home destroyed for the King's goal. He couldn't trade their happiness for his revenge and that thought spurred him to run quicker, following the footprints.

"Silver?" Gold was surprised when he found Silver and Lyra walking as the cause of the footprints. Crystal was trying to find them but it seemed like they were heading to the waterfall. He knew that he should find a way to tell Crystal that they were safe but called out to them first. "Hey, you two love birds! You're lucky that I found you and not Crystal. She really wants your head, Silver."

"I can't blame her." Silver smiled sadly to himself but Lyra placed a hand on his arm, reminding him that she would be there to face Crystal together. Out of everyone in the village, gaining Crystal's approval would be the hardest. "Where is she now?"

"We kinda went out separate ways. She was following your trail but I got distracted and here I am. This might sound weird but did you guys see a dragon flying overhead? I couldn't follow its trail and lost it." Gold asked them and saw the slight hesitation in their faces. He thought that it was because they wanted to protect the sacred beast of the mountain so didn't ask any further questions.

"We should head back and tell Crystal where you are." Gold changed the subject.

"I think I should go ahead and find her before she sees you, Silver. I think talking to her alone will help her understand." Lyra said with an apologetic smile. Silver couldn't blame her for feeling the need to speak to her sister alone but he couldn't let her leave alone.

"I just promised to protect you so I can't let you go out on your own." Silver tried to stop her. "I'm not leaving you alone. At least take Gold with you. That way, I'll know you won't be alone if you get yourself into danger."

"I can protect myself. And anyways, I'm not alone." Lyra touched the scale in her brooch and he could feel her touch over his heart. "If I need you, you'll know and I trust that you'll come to save me. The only thing to keep in mind is that I might've already saved myself by the time you come for me."

"I think she can go on her own. Crystal's really not too far from us so Lyra won't be alone and unprotected for long." Gold said and Lyra pouted.

"Why is everyone acting like I can't protect myself? I'll remind you that I was the one that saved you when we met. I'm a defender of justice and I can fight!" Lyra insisted and marched away. Silver smiled to himself since her energy and smiled lifted a weight off his chest. He waited for her to walk out of earshot before turning to Gold and asking.

"Can you go after her and make sure nothing happens to her? I know she said that she could protect herself, and she can, but I just want to be safe.

"Why don't we just go together?" Gold asked but didn't wait for an answer before dragging Silver after her. Silver tried to resist but Gold signaled to Lyra and Silver bit his lip, not wanting her to hear them. He didn't want her to be hurt by thinking he didn't trust her. He only wanted to make sure that she was safe.

"She's going to be mad at us."

"What were you going to do if I listened and followed her like you asked?" Silver was surprised by Gold's question. But he gave him a knowing smile. "You would've stood there alone and waited for her to come back because you didn't want to face everyone without her. Then you'll get so impatient waiting and worrying until you went after her."

Silver hated to admit it but Gold was most likely right. "Whatever. Let's just make sure that she doesn't catches us. Do you think you can keep quiet for five minutes?"

"You hurt me, Silver. Whatever gave you the impression that you can't depend on me in times like this? You might be the cool brooding type but I'm sure you never been able to sneak into the kitchen guarded by a real dragon. Trying to sneak past her has trained me well." Gold boosted and Silver didn't know if he should chuckle at his words or not.

"And by this dragon you mean…" Silver trailed off, letting Gold finish the sentence.

"My mother. She was a great and powerful woman. You couldn't get anything past her but, every once in a while, I would sneak into the kitchen to steal a snack. I was caught more often than not but I was still able to sneak past her." Gold said with nostalgia in his eyes. "What about you?"

"I never knew my mother…" Silver said in a small voice. "But I doubt your mother can compare to my sister when you say 'a real dragon'. She's always trying to protect me. When I was younger, I wanted to get stronger to protect her so I sneaked out at night to train. She found out that same night and dragged me back inside before the master caught us. We weren't allowed outside."

"You weren't?" Silver shook his head and Gold wondered what kind of life he had. His eyes were strong yet kind when he spoke of protecting his sister but they looked dreary when he spoke about his previous master. "I guess you don't go out much and that's why you're so serious all the time. After this, I'll take you out drinking and teach you how to relax."

"I know how to relax." Silver whispered. He saw Lyra moving further into the distance so he quickly pull Gold after her. "We need to go. I don't want to lose her."

"You really love her, don't you?" Gold teased and laughed when Silver flushed a deep shade of red.

* * *

"Don't worry, everyone will come back soon." Yellow assured the children that surrounded her and barraged her with questions. It was early in the morning and Green would usually train them but he was still out with Blue, looking for Lyra.

Yellow was worried that something might've happened. They would've returned by now, at least for a few minutes to tell them if they were able to find Lyra or not. But she still tried to keep a strong smile on her face to not worry the children.

"Where's Green. He's supposed to be training us today!" One of the child pulled her sleeve and she didn't know how to respond to him. She would offer to train them herself but she wasn't the most skilled fighter and didn't know the best way to train them.

"I'll teach you." Red must've sensed her panic since he stepped forward and offered to help. They all looked up at him with hesitant eyes and he knew that they didn't know if they should trust him. So, he pulled out his sword and handed it to Yellow. He beamed a smile down at them and instructed, "We should stretch before I start training you. How far are you guys with Green?"

"We know the basic defensives stances and how to disarm a man. But Green won't teach us how any cool attacks. He says it's because we're too small. But you'll teach us how to fight, won't you?"

"Green is a wise leader." Red knelt in front of the children so he was eye leveled with them. "I'm going to train you but I'm not going to teach you how to fight. I'm going to teach you how to protect yourself and the people you love. But let's get you ready with some warm ups."

They children groaned but followed his instructions. Yellow watched them with a smile on her face. With something to occupy them, they couldn't worry about where Green and the others were. Unfortunately, Yellow's mind was occupied by worry. She wanted to go out and find Blue but she couldn't leave the village and its people unprotected without its usual leaders.

"Do you hear that?" Red stopped training when his sharp hearing heard someone approaching the village. "Training's over kids. Yellow, get everyone to safety."

* * *

 **It's been so long since I've updated this that I didn't know if I should XD but there's only a few more chapters so I thought that I should. I'm juggling four fanfics right now because I'm having trouble on focusing on only one and me inspiration/motivation to write comes and goes. But I still want to finish this and love writing.**


End file.
